U.S. Says 15,718 More Reserve Troops Called Up

January 29, 2003

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military, preparing for possible war with Iraq, said on Wednesday that another 15,718 Reserve troops had been called to active duty in the past week, swelling the total number of reservists now on duty to 94,624, the biggest number since the 1991 Gulf War.

The announcement came after President Bush promised on Tuesday night to deliver new intelligence on Iraq's alleged weapons programs and vowed to use the full force of the military to disarm Iraqi President Saddam Hussein if necessary.

The weekly Pentagon announcement on Reserve and National Guard troops on active duty gave the following new totals: Army 64,741; Air Force 14,627; Marine Corps 8,729; Navy 5,476 and Coast Guard 1,051.

Tens of thousands of part-time U.S. troops have been called to active duty for the war on terror since the September 2001 attacks on the United States and many are now being sent to the Gulf region along with more than 100,000 U.S. regular troops and heavy arms in a build-up for a possible war with Iraq.

A total of 106,000 U.S. reservists served on active duty in the Gulf region during the 1991 Gulf War.

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