Can the U.S. Army Reserves require a commissioned officer to extend contract to

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complete backfill activation? My wife is a U.S. Army Reserve direct commissioned officer (Nurse). Her reserve unit has told her that there is a rotating deployment/activation schedule and that 2010 will be her unit's turn. They have been asking soldiers to volunteer to back fill CONUS, Germany, and Hawaii positions so that they will not have to worry about being pulled and attached to different units going to Afghanistan. My wife's 8 year Army contract ends in September 2010. Her unit wants her to volunteer for a 12 month back fill position that begins in December 2009 and ends in December 2010. I do understand that officers must resign their commission, otherwise they can still be called back at any time. But, if she submits the paperwork to resign her commission, as of her 8 year contract committment (SEP 2010), can they still activate her and require her to remain on active duty until December 2010?
 
I think that they can. There are certain circumstances when the military can involuntarily extend an enlistment or commission. One of them is during a time of war. If they determine that the extension is to support the missions in Iraq/Afghanistan even if she is sent somewhere else, then they can do that.

If they are at a critical shortage of nurses, then there is a chance...but she should be contacting her personnel office to see what the likely hood of that would be.

Note: I understand that she has not yet, resigned. If she has already resigned then after the 8 years it would be no...but if she is still in they can keep her.
 
Yes, they can. Also, they can deny her request to resign her commission. At least that is what I've seen in practice as a Nurse in the Army Reserves myself. I don't know the regs on this since it is not an issue that has touched me personally. But somehow there is a mechanism in place that has allowed some of these requests to be denied.

EDIT: I agree with Army Chemo though what I've seen with the recent denials of commission resignation had to do with MOSs that were of critical shortage in wartime. Nurses have historically been critically short in the military, and the policy of holding onto this MOS for the duration may still be in effect. Again, I don't know the regs. Just what I've seen in the CSH unit to which I'm assigned.

ArmyChemo...thanks for the additional info and clarification. I knew there had to be more to this practice than what I am exposed to.
 
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