In May of this year, 6,500 former soldiers in the Individual Ready Reserve received notices ordering them to report to an Army installation because they were being pulled back into the active duty. As the United States military commitments in Afghanistan and Iraq continue to remain great, employers are faced with tough decisions concerning their employees with National Guard and reserve responsibilities. “An increasing number of U.S. soldiers deployed in Iraq have gray mustaches, bald heads, and noticeable paunches as more reservists and National Guard units are being sent to war.” The ratio of active-duty Army and other elements – Reserves, National Guard and IRR – is now about 50-50. Whether a police officer, trucker, nurse, or pharmaceutical distributor, these individuals leave their everyday jobs to serve the United States through military service. “Once a soldier, always a soldier,” said Paul East, a long-haul trucker from Florida.
