By Kelly Rayburn
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
The Pentagon will call as many as 50,000 reservists to active
duty for homeland defense, including Cold War-style patrols of U.S.
airspace from coast to coast, officials said Friday.
The call-up of members of the National Guard and Reserve was
authorized by President George W. Bush, who said in a formal
declaration of national emergency that the extra troops are needed
in light of a "continuing and immediate threat" of further
terrorist attacks on the United States.
As for the approximately 70 UCLA students who participate in the
Reserve Officer Training Programs, no UCLA student can be
mobilized, said Air Force ROTC Col. Richard McIntosh.
"Our (AFROTC) cadets aren’t in the status of mobilization," he
said.
UCLA ROTC Lt. Aaron Schilleci said he had no information on
troop mobilization yet. The UCLA Naval ROTC could not be reached
for comment.
McIntosh said Army and Navy ROTC members, all of whom are
students, do not have mobilization status either. Only the National
Guard and national reserves can be mobilized, he said.
Upon completing one year of the ROTC program, members pledge to
serve in the military for four years after college.
UCLA fourth-year American literature student Raymond Cheung, a
member of the Marine reserves, which is not connected to ROTC
programs, said he doesn’t know whether he will be called to
serve.
Cheung said his commanding officer said to "be ready just in
case we have to go."
"I’m ready to go if I have to," Cheung said. "This is why I
joined, to defend and serve my country."
Though Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said he would call no
more than 50,000 reservists, under the authorization signed by
Bush, the Pentagon could call as many as one million to active
duty.
The military services said they will need no more than 35,500
and have not decided which units to call. Once on active duty, the
citizen soldiers could be required to serve as long as two
years.
Craig Duehring, a senior Pentagon personnel executive, said he
was not sure when the first call-ups would be made.
Victoria Clarke, spokeswoman for Rumsfeld, said they would come
within days.
With reports from Daily Bruin wire services.