First signs of draft renewal?(Insider Report)

"The U.S. Army is planning an involuntary mobilization of thousands of reserve troops to maintain adequate force levels in Iraq and Afghanistan," reported Reuters on June 28.

Drawing on the seldom used Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), composed of soldiers who have completed their active-duty commitments, the involuntary mobilization--which is, in principle, a draft--will involve roughly 5,600 soldiers.

"These individuals are being called back to fill specific shortages for specific jobs," an unidentified senior Defense Department official told the wire service. "We're not calling up units, we're just using all the existing assets in theater and we're augmenting these assets with these individuals--various occupational specialties, various different types of officers running the whole gamut."

While soldiers in the IRR "have served their voluntary obligation in the Army, they can still be mobilized involuntarily for several years after returning to civilian life," Reuters explained. "Sometimes there's a misperception by some of the individuals ... that 'I've done my obligation, I've been in the Army, thank you very much, and I'm done,'" continued the defense ...