The Individual Ready Reserve (abbreviated "IRR" and sometimes referred to as the Inactive Ready Reserve) is a category of reserve component of the United States military, composed of former active duty or reserve military personnel who are no longer serving but still have time remaining on their initial eight-year military service obligation, or their subsequent reserve obligation. As of 2004, the IRR includes approximately 118,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines.

On 29 July, 2004, 5,600 members of the IRR, mainly with specialties as military police or civil affairs officers, were called back to active duty to support U.S. forces in Iraq. This activation was the first time that the IRR had been called upon since the 1991 Gulf War, when approximately 20,000 IRR troops were called up in support of Operation Desert Storm.

As of April 2005:

• Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has authorized the Army to mobilize up to 6,500 Individual Ready Reservists at any one time;
• 3,900 IRR members with critical specialties have been called to active duty;
• About half of those called have reported for duty;
• About 550 of those called have failed to report for duty, some claiming exemptions, others ignoring their orders.

Normal obligations are for four years of active duty and four years on inactive duty.

External links

• Most Individual Ready Reservists Reporting as Ordered, an April 2005 American Forces Press Service release

Military of the United States