Reservists Called Up for Homeland Defense.

• Author: Book, Elizabeth G.
• Position: War on Terrorism depends on reserve forces - Brief Article

Illinois congressman says U.S. reliance on reserve force will grow

The reserve call-up that the President ordered under-scores the modern reality of the United States military. We can't go to war without reservists," said freshman Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), who is also a non-drilling reservist for the U.S. Navy.

In a recent interview, Kirk said that the "war on terrorism," prompted by the attacks on the World Trade Center Towers and the Pentagon, could not be fought without heavy reliance on military reservists.

"Winston Churchill said a reservist is twice a citizen. A reservist has two critical roles in national security. He's not paid when we don't need him, but he is there and will give everything when we do need him," he said.

"These are no donut-eating weekend warriors," Kirk said of the reservists he knows. "Reservists are the most experienced doctors in the military, they have award-winning airlift teams. Reservists fly their aircraft far more often than their active-duty counterparts. ... Intelligence specialists are far more experienced. In many ways, reservists dramatically enhance the capability of our military"

Kirk, a congressman from Deerfield, Ill, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, is a reserve naval aviator. Kirk holds the rank of lieutenant commander and was the intelligence officer assigned to a squadron flying the EA-6B prowler electronic attack aircraft, until his election to Congress in 2000.

Most recently, he served in Operation Northern Watch in 1999, patrolling the no-fly zone over Iraq. Kirk's status as a non-drilling reservist means that he is still "on the books," but isn't connected to a specific reserve squadron. He indicated that he still wants to stay involved with the reserves somehow. "I will seek an opportunity to help during a congressional recess. However, my primary military duty station right now is in the Congress, to vote for the beans and bullets necessary to carry out this war, and to encourage my colleagues in Congress to do the same.

Greater than 70 percent of the medical capability of the armed forces exists in the reserves, according to Dr. Richard A. Stone, a physician in the U.S. Army Reserves.

"What the reserves do is bring to active duty high-experienced, active...