Be All That You Can Be

Via TalkLeft and Cursor, The Monitor reports on one person called into active duty from the Individual Ready Reserve:

He’s 57 years old, afflicted with skin cancer, partially deaf and suffers from high blood pressure. But the U.S. Army still wants Master Sgt. Luis Jaime Treviño.

On July 14, the Vietnam and Desert Storm veteran received his third order to report to active duty — mobilized for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"I was very shocked," Treviño said, a member of the Army’s Individual Ready Reserve. IRRs are not part of a reserve unit, do not get paid and do not attend monthly reserve training. However, because of critical skills they possess, they can be recalled to duty if needed.

Treviño will be given the option of appearing before a medical review board, which might well keep him stateside on the basis of his disabilities. But the mere fact of his call-up is a sure indication that the military is stretched dangerously thin.