Servicemembers & Deployment
Mobilization
The first step in a deployment is mobilization, which can be defined as the temporary relocation of military units or individual servicemembers to an area of operations.
Four types of mobilizations can be ordered:
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Selective Mobilization
The President is authorized to activate 200,000 reservists for up to nine months to respond to natural disasters and civilian disturbances that do not threaten national security, such as floods, tropical storms or riots.
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Presidential Reserve Call-Up (PRC)
The President can mobilize up to 1,000,000 Reservists in response to external threats to national security for up to 24 months.
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Full Mobilization
Congress mobilizes all Reserves units to support a war or national emergency. Mobilization can last for the duration of the emergency plus six months.
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Total Mobilization
Congress activates all armed forces and can draft every able-bodied male between the ages of 17-45. Congress also takes over any national resource needed and can order the private industrial sector to work at full capacity, The industrial sector then manufactures extra equipment and goods to support a war or national emergency.
Selective Mobilization
Extra steps are needed to mobilize reserve units simply because the mechanisms for deployment are not always immediately in place, as they are with active duty units.
Here are the four phases of a selective mobilization:
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Preparation
Reserve units prepare and train for mobilization during peacetime one weekend a month and two weeks per year.
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Receipt of Orders
Reserve units receive notice that they will be activated.
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Report to Base
Reserve units assemble at their home bases.
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Fort-to-Port and Port-to-Foxhole
The units and their equipment are moved to depart from their home stations and travel to a Port of Embarkation, where they will make their move to the area where they are neeeded. Troops can either be moved to an airport of embarkation (APOE) or a seaport of embarkation (SPOE). The troops and their equipment are then separately moved from their port of embarkation to the area where they will actually be fighting (the foxhole). Once in the foxhole, the troops either receive more training or their assignments.
After the four phases are completed, the actual deployment occurs, and servicemembers are assigned a temporary, unaccompanied tour of duty.
