Here are links about the Backdoor Draft, Stop Loss Program and IRRs. There
are dozens of news reports on the these programs and the folks that are
fighting them.
When you join up the first time you take on an eight year obligation,
usually the first four of this are active (unless you went into the
Reserve/Nat Guard) and the last four are some type of reserve.
The reserve could be the type where you drill every month or you could be
free to go unless they call you back. When the eight year obligation is
done it's done, unless there is a "National Emergency" then you can be kept
longer than the eight years.
When you retire you are carried on the rolls as part of the Retired Reserve.
On all of these you are is some facet of the reserve & recallable, that's
how it is. You accepted that eight year obligation when you volunteered in
the first place.
I feel for those folk who are being held over, recalled or activated. It's
a damn shame but it is part of what they signed up for.
The guy in this article was out well past his eight year obligation & he
wasn't retired. By all the rules he was done. This looks different.