Hardships of Military Medical Deployment: Another Reason to Resign Commission

[island doc]

Just received a memo concerning a local civilian physician with a reserve obligation tapped for deployment:

"Dr. X has returned from Kuwait. His year in the military has been a significant hardship on him, his family, and his practice. He will be working to rebuild his practice due to many patients leaving to see other doctors during his absence."

Charitable donations are being solicited to help his family recover from the extreme financial hardships.

Resign your commission!!

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Members don't see this ad.

 

[omnipotentx]

Just received a memo concerning a local civilian physician with a reserve obligation tapped for deployment:

"Dr. X has returned from Kuwait. His year in the military has been a significant hardship on him, his family, and his practice. He will be working to rebuild his practice due to many patients leaving to see other doctors during his absence."

Charitable donations are being solicited to help his family recover from the extreme financial hardships.

Resign your commission!!

Based on my understanding, he must have been in the active reserves, not HPSP reserve duty. Is this correct?

 

[IgD]

Based on my understanding, he must have been in the active reserves, not HPSP reserve duty. Is this correct?

Most likely he was on the active reserve list. Prior to the deployment, he was receiving supplemental income from the military each month (unsure of amount) and participating in drills.

When you leave military service, a physician has the option of becoming an inactive reservists. Inactive reservists don't get paid each month. When inactive reservists get called up we have a big military problem in the world.

 

[R-Me-Doc]

Most likely he was on the active reserve list. Prior to the deployment, he was receiving supplemental income from the military each month (unsure of amount) and participating in drills.

When you leave military service, a physician has the option of becoming an inactive reservists. Inactive reservists don't get paid each month. When inactive reservists get called up we have a big military problem in the world.

By "inactive reservists" I assume you are referring to the IRR.
Well, guess what? I've met a number of IRR soldiers (including one physician) who have been recalled to active duty. So I guess we qualify as having "a big military problem" by your standards.
Oh yeah, and let's not forget the couple of RETIREE recalls I've recently come across. That's right -- guys who have retired from the military after 20-30 years who are now being recalled to active duty.


RMD 0-8-13

 

[island doc]

Based on my understanding, he must have been in the active reserves, not HPSP reserve duty. Is this correct?

I do not know his exact status, all I know is that he was pulled away from his practice for a year and both his family and his practice suffered to the point that "the plate" is being passed for them.

 

[dpill]

This has been going on for a while- check out this AP article from last year:

Army recalls former soldiers to duty
5,674 members of Individual Ready Reserve to be activated

Updated: 2:33 p.m. ET June 30, 2004
WASHINGTON - For the first time in more than a decade, the Army is forcing thousands of former soldiers back into uniform, a reflection of the strain on the service of long campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Army officials on Wednesday announced that 5,674 former soldiers — mostly people who recently left the service and have up-to-date skills in military policing, engineering, logistics, medicine or transportation — will be assigned to National Guard and Reserve units that are scheduled to deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan. The first notifications are to be received July 6.
They will be put on active duty for a minimum of 12 months and mostly likely for 18 months. The Pentagon’s policy is to not keep troops in Iraq or Afghanistan for more than 12 months

BTW, if you retire from the military, they can activate you until you are 60
The folks that get out after 4 will not be able to resign their commission if they still have IRR commitment. On a brighter note- HPSP is in a little different boat- even though IRR, it is considered a different category and is allegedly protected from activations.

 

[militarymd]

On a brighter note- HPSP is in a little different boat- even though IRR, it is considered a different category and is allegedly protected from activations.

did a recruiter tell you that?

 

[dpill]

did a recruiter tell you that?

I didn't even ask my recruiter
Probably much more detail than you are looking for, but this is the most "definitive" guidance I could find concerning who can and cannot be mobilized. (Notice the convenient term "national emergency"). The AFI has a lot more detail if you really care to read the whole thing

AIR FORCE INSTRUCTION 36-2633
30 AUGUST 2004
Personnel
THE AIR FORCE RESERVE PRETRAINED
INDIVIDUAL MANPOWER PROGRAMS –
MANAGEMENT AND UTILIZATION

Section A—Composition of the Air Force (PIM) Pool
1. PIM. The Air Force policy definition for the PIM is “personnel with prior military training or experiences that are subject to recall to extended active duty (EAD) in a mobilization” in accordance with AFI 10-416, Personnel Readiness and Mobilization. PIM categories include the (a) Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), (b) Retired Reserve (active and Reserve), and (c) Standby Reserve (active and inactive).
1.1. The IRR is a manpower pool comprised of individuals who have had training, have previously served on Active Duty (AD) or in the Selected Reserve and may or may not have a Military Service Obligation (MSO) or other contractual obligation remaining. Some individuals volunteer to remain in the IRR beyond their MSO or contractual obligations and participate in programs providing a variety of professional assignments and opportunities for earning retirement points and military benefits. The IRR consists of Ready Reservists who are not in the Selected Reserve. IRR members are subject to recall to AD by the President or Congress in time of national emergency or war.
1.2. The Standby Reserve consists of personnel who maintain their military affiliation without being in the Ready Reserve. Standby Reservists may be active or inactive Reservists who: 1) are key civilian employees, 2) in Reserve sanctuary, 3) Voluntary Separation Incentive (VSI) recipients and/or, 4) having a command acknowledged/ approved hardship. Standby Reserve members are subject to recall to AD by Congress in time of national emergency or war.
1.3. The Retired PIM pool consists of AD and Reserve retirees subject to AD recall by Congress or the Secretary of Defense in time of national emergency or war.

Section B—Program Management of the Participating Individual Ready Reserve (PIRR) and the Special Professional Education and Stipend programs.
2.5. HQ ARPC/SG manages:
2.5.2. The 9016th Air Reserve Squadron. Members enrolled in the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) and Financial Assistance Program (FAP) are assigned to this squadron. Individuals in HPSP must perform 45-days AD each year. Those in FAP must perform 14-days of AD each year. These members are not a mobilization resource.