My brother might be getting sent to Iraq

[Not_Giving_Up]

My brother was honorably discharged from the Navy nearly two years ago. To fulfill his commitment, he was placed in the Individual Ready Reserves. A while back, he got a notice that he had to report in. I told him then that he was going to be redeployed. He didn't think so then, and he still doesn't think so now. He went on Saturday, where he learned that they are in fact, for the first time ever, activating the Navy Individual Ready Reserves. The explanation was that if they don't activate these units, some National Guard units will have to be deployed for the third or fourth time. He was told that they are not likely looking for submarine officers right now. He then told them of his former roommate in sub school who was a submarine officer and is now in Baghdad in charge of prison guards. They appeared to be shocked to learn this.

My brother is still waiting to hear if he's going to be reactivated. He seems to think that because he's lost a testicle to cancer since his discharge, they won't send him anywhere. He won't listen to reason. I'm more worried about this than he is.

[applegrove]

1. I'm so sorry.

[Not_Giving_Up]

2. Thanks

He's eight years younger than me, and I was basically his mother growing up. Our actual mother seems clueless about this when I mention it to her.

[noamnety]

3. My understanding is that they aren't prosecuting IRR no-shows

It might have been better if he just didn't go in (assuming that's in accordance with his beliefs about the war). I haven't checked the current policy, that's what I was reading about 2 years ago, so I'd double check that before acting on it as if it's still true. A GI rights group can probably help you out with current info on that.

I wouldn't trust them to keep a person out for a history of cancer.

Here's a woman whose Army mammogram turned up a cancerous tumor in April, had a lumpectomy in May, finished radiation in June, and later in June was being shipped to Iraq. She had the option to stay back for further treatment, it wasn't forced on her, but if they are deploying people within a few weeks of radiation, declaring them to be cancer free, I don't think your brother's case is necessarily going to keep him home.

http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,140079,00.html