President Joe Biden issued an order on Thursday that will allow the Pentagon to call up to 3,000 military reservists for deployment to Europe.
The order released by the White House says the president determined it is “necessary to augment” U.S. forces — which The Washington Post reported as about 80,000 troops — who are on a mission to deter further Russian aggression just days after the war in Ukraine surpassed the 500-day mark.
Up to 450 of the troops authorized for activation under Biden’s order can be pulled from the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) — which includes service members who are nearing the end of their enlistment contracts and are no longer required to attend regular drills and training.
“These authorities will enable the department to better support and sustain its enhanced presence and level of operations,” said Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims, the director for operations on the Joint Staff.
