# Mobilization: How Can You Best Be Prepared?

**By Lt. Col. Paul Conrad,\
Legal Counsel,\
Office of the Chief, Army Reserve**

-   [Wills and
    Healthcare](http://www.army.mil/USAR/news/2002/04april/mobilizationprep.html#3%233)

-   [Estate
    Planning](http://www.army.mil/USAR/news/2002/04april/mobilizationprep.html#2%232)

-   [Civilian Lawyers Mobilize To Provide Legal Help, If
    Needed](http://www.army.mil/USAR/news/2002/04april/mobilizationprep.html#1%231)
    (by Gerry J. Gilmore American Forces Press Service)

-   [A Terrorism
    Primer](http://www.army.mil/USAR/news/2002/02february/terrorismprimer.html)

Automobile

If a Reservist has a car and plans to take it to the mobilization site,
the Reservist will need to make plans for long-term storage. A soldier
should consider having their agent contact the automobile insurance
agent, and reduce the collision and liability coverage. Check the car
registration to determine if the agent will need to renew it as well as
ensure any property taxes are paid. Additionally, ensure the driver's
license will not expire during your estimated deployment period, or
arrange renewal with your state.

What if you have a leased vehicle, and you wish to terminate the lease
upon deployment? Currently, there is no federal law that requires an
automobile leasing company to take back a leased vehicle prior to the
lease termination date. Many leases provide that if you return a vehicle
early, that the leasing company can charge you an early termination
penalty. Some of their early termination penalties are quite steep. You
can contact the leasing company, provide them with a copy of your
deployment orders, and ask them to waive the early termination penalty,
and hopefully many will do so. Also many auto leases will not allow you
to take a vehicle out of a state for an extended period of time or take
a leased vehicle out of the continental United States. You should also
be aware that since most auto leases have an "option to buy" clause,
that the courts have determined that such language converts the lease
into an installment contract that is protected by the SSCRA from
allowing the leasing company to involuntarily repossess any such
vehicle, or be subject to federal penalties.

What if you have a loan on your vehicle at a rate greater than 6%
interest per year? The SSCRA provides that you may ask the creditor to
reduce your car loan while you are deployed to 6% interest per year, and
any interest above that amount is forgiven. The burden is on the lender
to show that the soldier is not "materially affected" by their military
duty (e.g., suffered a reduction in income), or they must agree to
reduce the interest rate on the vehicle to 6% interest per year. The
soldier can assert this SSCRA 6% interest cap by sending the lender a
written request for interest rate reduction, with a copy of their
orders. (Sending this request by certified mail is strongly
recommended.) If the lender fails to respond or to contest the
allegation that the soldier is materially affected within a reasonable
period of time (30 days or less), the debtor can go into court and seek
court assistance in enforcing the SSCRA 6% interest cap. More
information and sample letters for notifying creditors may be found at
the Army Judge Advocate Corps web site at www.jagcnet@ army.mil . and
the Department of Defense Reserve Affairs web site at
http://www.defenselink.mil/ra/family/toolkit/ .

Finally, if a soldier is deployed and takes their car with them, and the
soldier is now situated in a different state based upon military orders,
he would not owe personal property taxes on his vehicle to the gaining
state. The SSCRA provides that a soldier, who maintains a permanent
place of domicile in another state, does not become obligated to pay
their new state's personal property tax. In other words, the soldier is
not required to pay taxes on their vehicle in his home state and in the
new state they reside because of military orders, even if the soldier's
home state does not charge a personal property tax.

Miscellaneous Tips to Prepare for Mobilization.

Prior to heading out to your mobilization site for processing, make sure
you bring with you copies of key documents necessary to speed your
in-processing for pay, personnel and health care concerns, e.g., your
most current will, powers of attorney, financial account numbers for key
bank accounts, copies of your children's birth certificates, social
security cards, and wedding license/divorce papers.

Set up a tax file for your spouse, to assist in doing your joint tax
return. Typically Reservist when deployed into a hostile area may have
some of his pay be exempt from taxation, may receive additional time to
file taxes, and may receive non-taxable allowances and bonuses.

Purchase an international calling card to call home, without having to
worry about having the right local currency, and notify your credit card
companies if you take any of your credit cards with you overseas.

Makes sure your spouse knows how to turn off any major house systems
(gas, electric, water) in case of an emergency and replace or repair any
problems with major house systems before you deploy.

Make sure your spouse knows the passwords to access any important
information on your family computer. Make a list of important email
addresses for you to use to contact people at home.

If single, make sure you have made arrangements to have someone take
care of any pets you own while deployed, similar to a family care
deployment plan.

Apartment Lease

What do you do if you receive orders to deploy and you are currently
renting an apartment, prior to entering active duty? The SSCRA allows
you to terminate a pre-service apartment/house lease, upon presenting
the landlord with a written notice of termination and a copy of your
orders. You do not have to show that you are suffering some hardship to
request a lease termination. You do have to give the landlord at least
30 days notice before moving out.

You gave written notice to your landlord that you want to terminate your
lease. You will still have to pay rent for a short while. Your landlord
can charge you rent for 30 days after the date your next rent is due,
after the date you give your written notice. Example: You give notice on
15 December. Your next rent is normally due 1 January. The landlord can
make you pay rent until 31 January. The key is to get the written notice
in the landlord's hands just as soon as possible.

The landlord may not withhold your security deposit for moving out early
and terminating your lease, but he may deduct legitimate damages from
the security deposit amount. Landlords who violate this provision of the
SSCRA potentially face criminal penalties. Remember once you are on
active duty, you can only terminate a valid lease by making sure it
includes a "military clause" that provides for lease termination upon
presentation of orders moving you out of the local area. Your military
legal assistance attorney can advise you on how to add a military clause
into a lease.

SSCRA protection Most SSCRA protection commences on the day you receive
your orders to active duty. As a practical matter, you should be ready,
and expect to present a copy of those orders to whomever you ask for
some right or benefit under the Act.

Six Percent Interest Cap-SSCRA. I have heard about 6% loans. How do I
get them? You may be entitled to have the interest rate on some of your
loans reduced to 6% for the time you are on active duty. There are a
number of special requirements. You need to talk to a Legal Assistance
Attorney to ensure you are eligible. You may be eligible if you and your
loan meet the following conditions:

a\) You took out the loan during a time when you were not on any form of
active duty in any branch of the military.

b\) The interest rate is currently above 6% per year.

c\) Your military service affects your ability to pay the loan at the
regular (pre-service) interest rate. Generally this requirement means
that you make less money in the military than you made as a civilian.
There are some special legal issues here - you should be ready to talk
to your Legal Assistance Attorney about your entire financial situation.

You notified the lender in writing. (I suggest you enclose a copy of
your orders and sent the notice by certified mail.)

Among the types of loans and obligations subject to the 6% interest cap
are credit card debt, mortgage loans, and personal loans. Unfortunately,
federally guaranteed student loans are not covered by the SSCRA 6%
interest cap.

On September 24, 2001, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Martinez
announced that he strongly urges all mortgage lenders to reduce all
activated Reservist's mortgage interest rates to 6% and he further
requested that mortgage lenders postpone principal payments on all
service member mortgages during their activation and three months
thereafter. He urged service members with questions on their mortgages
to contact a HUD toll-free number, 1-888-297-8685. Forms for requesting
the 6% interest cap can be found at JAGCNET and the DOD websites
referenced above.

Lawsuit Protection-SSCRA. I have to go to court on a lawsuit that came
up over an auto accident last year. How can I get the lawsuit delayed?
If you are a party (one of the people suing or being sued) in a civil
case (not a criminal case), your commander can ask the judge to stay or
temporarily delay the proceedings until you can appear. Generally, your
commander will have to show that military duty is keeping you from going
to court. This is a tricky legal area - I recommend you have your
civilian lawyer contact a Military Legal Assistance Attorney to discuss
the best way to proceed in your case.

Students. Do college and vocational-technical students who are
Reservists get any protection under federal law if they are mobilized so
they don't have to be readmitted to their graduate or professional
program upon return from active duty? Do we have a right to get a refund
of our tuition paid if we are activated prior to the end of a semester
and cannot complete our coursework? Currently there is no federal law to
protect college and vocational technical students from the problems
described above. Currently, the Secretary of Defense's office has
continued the initiative started during Desert Storm, where the Service
members Opportunity Colleges (SOC) organization has volunteered to
assist students with loss of course credit, tuition and fees refund, and
reenrollment upon demobilization problems. The SOC has a toll-free
number (800) 368-5622, and can be reached by writing: Service members
Opportunity Colleges, One DuPont Circle, N.W., Suite 680, Washington,
D.C. 20036. On September 24, 2001, the U.S. Department of Education
(DOE) directed college and university financial aid officers and lenders
to provide relief from student loan obligations while students are
deployed. The DOE urged post-secondary schools to provide full refund of
tuition, fees, and to provide flexible re-enrollment policies for
activated Reserve students. Finally any students who are activated, but
received financial aid for the semester they did not complete because of
their call-up, may keep the financial aid funds received for books and
living expenses. Some states have provided some protection to college
students, such as Florida and Louisiana, which make it a crime for a
state university or community college to discriminate against Guard
members who are on state active duty and activated Reservists.

Small Business Owners, Doctors, Lawyers and Consultants. What
protections are there for small business owners under the SSCRA or other
federal laws upon activation as Reservists? The SSCRA provides some
assistance. Small business owners who sign business loans, but are
subject to personal guarantees may be entitled to reduction of the loan
amounts to 6% interest upon proper notification. Small business owners,
who terminate their commercial health insurance policies upon
activation, may be reinstated under those policies without any waiting
periods or pre-existing conditions exclusions, upon demobilization.
Lawyers, doctors and other professionals who must purchase malpractice
insurance may be entitled to reduction or suspension of coverage while
on active military duty. If the professional has "claims made" coverage
however, it may be unwise to totally suspend coverage over claims that
could ripen while the doctor or professional was on active duty. The
professional should be able to use the law to reduce their coverage
costs while activated, negotiating with their malpractice carrier.
Business leases may be terminated under the SSCRA, without showing
hardship, upon activation, but the businessperson should be aware of
concerns about equitable offset by the landlord as a means to partially
require compensation for early lease termination.

A federal Small Business Administration loan program aimed at
compensating small businesses for loss of a key employee upon
activation, the Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loan
(MREIDL), which is for a maximum of 30 years at 4% interest, is a small
help for small business disruption. More information on the program can
be found at www.sba.gov/disaster. This program is part of the Veterans
Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Act of 1999.

Another aid for Reservists who are small business people is the Army
Reserve's Small Business Mobilization Planner, developed during Desert
Storm. It may be found on the JAGCNET, and it is an excellent reference
for business planning for small businesses and professionals to
determine if they should keep open, temporarily close or sell their
business upon activation. It has excellent business plan checklists and
suggested language for incorporation into partnership or limited
liability corporation documents to cover mobilization as a business
risk.

Notification of Employer Upon Mobilization. Employees upon preparation
for activation need to notify their employers to be covered under the
Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) for
reemployment rights. The USERRA, currently codified at Title 38, U.S.
Code Sections 4301-4333, has several prerequisites to obtain coverage:

\(1\) You must be an employee. The law covers all employees of federal,
state and local government agencies, non-profit corporations, and all
private businesses. There is no small business exemption.

\(2\) You must give prior notice of your military service to your
civilian employer. Soldiers are encouraged to give prior written notice
to their employer of any military deployment or duty period that may
conflict with their civilian employment. The employer may not dictate
the type of notice to be provided. A soldier\'s commander or senior
noncommissioned officer may also provide the notice to the employer. It
is strongly suggested that you provide the notice to your immediate
supervisor and your company or government agency human relations office.

\(3\) You must have not served more than five years of active military
duty while employed with your employer. This provision does not count
military call-up for operational missions, disaster relief, wartime
mobilization, annual training, and military drill periods. The clock
starts over with every new employment.

\(4\) You must have served under honorable conditions. The USERRA will
not apply to soldiers who receive a dishonorable, bad conduct, or other
than honorable discharge, or are dropped from the rolls.

\(5\) You must report back to the employer in a timely manner upon
completion of military duty. Soldiers must provide notice to their
employer when they are ready to return to civilian employment after
being activated. Unless impossible or unreasonable, through no fault of
the employee, soldiers must report back to their employers as follows:

\(a\) Service up to30 days must report back at the next shift following
safe travel time plus 8 hours for rest.

\(b\) Service up to 180 days must report back within 14 days.

\(c\) Service 181 days or more must report back within 90 days.

b\. The USERRA provides several protections to soldiers upon their
military activation and return:

\(1\) Prompt reinstatement to their civilian job.

\(2\) Reemployment at the same status as before they were activated, as
to title, location, and work hours.

\(3\) No loss of seniority based benefits, including pension
contribution rights and vesting privileges.

\(4\) Continuation of employer-provided health insurance, without
waiting periods or preexisting condition provisions for families that
use TRICARE military health care while the soldier is activated.

\(5\) Reasonable employer efforts to train and accommodate returning
employees upon their release from active duty.

\(6\) Special protection against discharge except for cause for
activated soldiers.

\(a\) If a soldier does 181 days or more of active duty, he cannot be
discharged except for cause for a period of twelve months.

\(b\) If a soldier does 180 to 30 days of active duty, he cannot be
discharged except for cause for a period of 180 days/six months.

\(c\) If a soldier does less than 30 days, he receives only the
protection provided by the anti-discrimination provision of the USERRA.

\(1\) Employers may not discriminate in hiring, employment, and
retention in employment, promotion, or any other benefit of employment
because of current or prior military service.

\(2\) Employers may not require a soldier to use their vacation pay or
time for military duty. The soldier may elect to use his vacation pay
for military duty.

\(3\) Employers need only show that employer discrimination based upon
current or prior military status was a factor in an adverse personnel
action or withholding a favorable personnel action to receive relief by
the courts.

\(4\) Federal employees may raise claims of \"hostile work environment\"
resulting from their current or prior military status before the Merit
Systems Protection Board. The courts have not granted State and local
government employees and private business employees the ability to raise
such claims.

\(7\) Non-Seniority Benefits. Any benefits an employer provides to their
employees that are not seniority based, but are provided for employees
on furlough or nonmilitary leave, are to be provided to soldier
employees. These benefits could include ESOP, 401k plans, disability
insurance or life insurance premium payment, or holiday bonuses.

c\. Enforcement of the USERRA.

\(1\) National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve
(NCESGR). The NCESGR is a DOD funded agency that provides information to
soldier employees and employers regarding USERRA and tries to resolve
USERRA disputes in an informal manner. The NCESGR Ombudsman Program,
including state volunteer ombudsmen, provides initial mediation of
USERRA issues between employees and employers. Call 1-800-336-4590. Web
site: http://www.esgr.org

\(2\) The Department of Labor - Veterans\' Employment and Training
Service (VETS). If employer disputes are not able to be resolved
informally, the cases are referred to the Department of Labor for formal
investigation. The Department investigators have subpoena and contempt
powers to assist in their investigations of USERRA violations. If the
Department determines that there is probable cause to believe a
violation occurred and the employer refuses to comply with the law, the
Department can refer the case to the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) for
federal employees, and the Department of Justice for all other cases.
Federal employee cases are resolved before the Merit Systems Protection
Board (MSPB) and most other cases are heard in federal court. There is a
180-day time limit for filing MSPB complaints, which may be waived by
utilizing the Department of Labor and OSC process. Website:
\<http://www.dol.gov/vets/\>

\(3\) Private Counsel. Individuals who are refused representation by OSC
(no merit letter) or wish to pursue their case against their employer
with their own attorney have the right to sue at either the MSPB
(federal employees), in the federal courts, or state courts (state
agency employees). Private counsel may seek double damages in cases
where the employer has show \"willful noncompliance\" with the USERRA.
They are also entitled to seek attorney fees, witness fees and court
costs.

\(4\) Military Legal Assistance Counsel. Army regulations prohibit
military legal counsel from representing individual soldiers at no
charge in USERRA cases. This prohibition came at the request of the
Department of Labor, which was concerned about military attorney actions
adversely affecting their investigation of USERRA cases. Military
counsel may educate soldiers and employers on the terms of the USERRA
and command-wide problems with employer USERRA compliance.

d\. Federal Employees-Specific guidance on rules for federal employees
mobilized during Operation Noble Eagle/Enduring Freedom issued by the
Office of Personnel Management (OPM) may be found at http://www.opm.gov

Wills and Healthcare

While you are meeting with a military attorney, an Army Reservist should
have him review any current will to determine if it still meets the
initial needs and desires. The military attorney may suggest a will that
provides a trust for the Resevist\'s children's finances \-- perhaps
until they are at an age that is appropriate for them to receive any
estate portion. If an Army Reservist doesn\'t have a will, they should
consider getting one, in order to have some control as to what happens
to their property upon death and who decides who gets what, especially
if there is significant savings and/or real estate holdings. The court
can also appoint someone as the guardian of children and their finances
if something would happen.
![](media/image1.png){width="2.6041666666666665in"
height="1.5833333333333333in"}

A "living will" provision can also be drafted to express the
Reservist\'s desires as to whether they wish to have someone else decide
to keep them alive, if they are mentally incapacitated or in a coma. A
military or civilian attorney can draft such a will. Make sure you let
the designated person as the will executor or administrator know where
the will is secured, so he or she can quickly recover it if something
may happen. That person should also know of any special burial
instructions or wishes by a separate burial direction letter.

If a Reservist thinks they are going to deploy, they should review your
life insurance holdings. An Army Reservist is eligible for up to \$
250,000 in Servicemen's Group Life Insurance (SGLI) coverage upon
activation. The soldier should also check any other commercial life
insurance to see if that life insurance policy excludes paying if the
member is killed during conflict or military service. Many military
oriented life insurance companies waive this "war clause" exclusion. If
the soldier is unsure whether their commercial life insurance covers
them in case of combat or military death, the insurance agent must be
contacted for clarification in writing. The employer Human Relations
Office may need to be contacted if the the Reserve soldier\'s employer
provides life insurance to see whether the policy will cover any
military death. The soldier may want to purchase additional commercial
life insurance if there are concerns.

**Health Care**

An Army Reservist is entitled to extension of employer health care
coverage while activated under the Uniform Employment and Reemployment
Rights Act (USERRA), and if they are self-employed, the Soldier's and
Sailors' Civil Relief Act (SSCRA) provides some protection against an
insurance company refusing to reinsure the soldier and their family
after return from active duty.

Congress has recently extended health care coverage under the military
TRICARE health system for family members once a Reserve soldier is
activated. TRICARE coverage information can be obtained from the TRICARE
website, at www.tricare.osd.mil .

If a soldier\'s family members are not currently enrolled in the Defense
Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System (DEERS), they need to obtain
military identification cards and get enrolled in the system so they
will be readily eligible for medical care upon the soldier\'s
deployment. Family members will need to bring valid picture
identification, social security numbers, birth certificates and marriage
license/divorce documents to get their military identification cards and
get enrolled in DEERS. If a soldier\'s family already has military
identification cards, they need to make sure the ID cards are up to date
and will not expire while the Reservist is gone. If no other health care
insurance is available when the Reservist is activated, the soldier may
also want to explore purchasing a TRICARE supplemental policy to pay for
items not covered by the deductible charged. The soldier should also
explore coverage under the military Family Member Dental Plan, or ensure
continued coverage under their current dental insurance if activated.

*Note: This is the second in a series of mobilization articles by Lt.
Col. Conrad\
Next Week - Autombile Coverage*

Estate Planning

In response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, President
Bush has authorized a partial mobilization of the Ready Reserve of all
the military services. So far, nearly 11,000 Army Reservists have been
mobilized. In the near future more Reservists may be mobilized to
support the current crisis. What does a Reservist need to do to leave
personal affairs in good order upon receiving activation orders? Begin
planning now-it is too late to prepare when you receive mobilization
orders!

Often there may be legal or economic issues that will occur and unless
the soldier has given someone (spouse, parent, or trusted friend) the
express written permission to act on their behalf, there could be a
problem.

If all bank accounts, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other investments
are in the soldier\'s name alone, and the individual is deployed, the
soldier\'sspouse or designated agent (such as a parent) may have trouble
accessing the account to pay bills. Since military pay will be
electronically forwarded to a Reservists' designated bank account, it
usually makes sense to put a spouse or someone of trust to pay bills
while a Reservist is gone (e.g., a parent or trusted friend or
relative) - consequently, they need ready access to the account.
Ideally, the soldier should set up automatic deposit and payments for
regularly recurring bills and obligations while they are gone.

A Reservist may also elect to put all accounts in his or her name and
that of their spouse or appointed agent (but not both). Joint accounts,
in most states and the money left in those accounts can also be readily
accessed by the Reservist\'s spouse or designated agent upon death. The
bank or investment company can assist in changing the soldier\'s current
account to a joint bank account.

A spouse must also thoroughly understand the impact of any reduction of
income resulting from a soldiers' activation, and plan to handle any
reduced income by setting up a budget to live on. Additionally, a spouse
or agent must be informed about the location of important financial and
personal documents. Valuable documents that are not use regularly should
be put in a safety deposit box or home safe. A folder should also be set
up to hold all receipts and financial documents received while the
soldier is deployed for easy reference.

A soldier may also want someone to take care of turning in a leased
vehicle to the leasing company or may need to ship or store household
goods. How can a mobilized soldier be protected? They must see the local
Judge Advocate officer so they can prepare a power of attorney document
for the designated agent to act on their behalf. The military attorney
will explain the difference between a general power of attorney, that
lets the person who receives it do basically any legal act that the
soldier could do for a certain period of time, or a special power of
attorney that grants a person the right to do some specific act such as
sell your car or file a joint tax return. Typically, when a soldier is
preparing for deployment, they would grant the agent a general power of
attorney. Federal law now provides for military attorneys to provide
powers of attorney that will be honored by all states. The length of the
power of attorney can be limited so it is automatically revoked upon the
soldier's return or have the military lawyer prepare a revocation
document to end a power of attorney.

*Note: This is the first in a series of mobilization articles by Lt.
Col. Conrad\
Next week - Wills and Healthcare Concerns*

Civilian Lawyers Mobilize To Provide Legal Help, If Needed

**By Gerry J. Gilmore\
American Forces Press Service**

**WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2001 \--** How many lawyers will be needed to
provide legal services for America\'s service men and women deployed in
the war against global terrorism?

The answer to that question is unknown, because no one knows how many
military \-- particularly Guard and Reserve members \-- will ultimately
be called up for overseas service in Operation Enduring Freedom and
Operation Noble Eagle homeland defense missions. To date, more than
50,000 reserve component members have been tabbed for active duty.

However, through Operation Enduring LAMP \-- Legal Assistance for
Military Personnel \-- program, the American Bar Association is
\"activating\" private-sector lawyers to supplement military lawyers\'
efforts, if required, said Army Col. Steve Strong, director of legal
policy in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and
Readiness.

The program officially kicked off Nov. 13, Strong noted. The
Chicago-based ABA expressed interest in helping the military, he said,
shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York City and
Washington, D.C., and the terrorist-hijacked airliner crash in Somerset
County, Pa.

\"The size of our active duty legal providers is tailored to the size of
the active force,\" Strong remarked. If reserve call-ups swell the force
greatly, then \"we\'ll need civilian lawyers to help,\" he added.

According to Strong, the ABA is now working to:

-   Identify and organize, with assistance from local and state bar
    associations, private attorneys willing and able to provide free
    legal services to military members. If necessary, military legal
    assistance offices would refer clients using compiled ABA lists of
    participating attorneys.

-   Educate civilian lawyers about the Soldiers and Sailors Civil Relief
    Act, Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act (see
    <http://www.defenselink.mil/ra/> or
    [http://www.esgr.org](http://www.esgr.org/)) and other military
    law.\
    ABA members will be able to obtain military law information free
    through a toll-free Dec. 19 conference call. More Operation Enduring
    LAMP information can be found on the ABA Web site:
    [www.abanet.org/legalservices/helpreservists](http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/helpreservists/).

-   Support military legal assistance staffs if Guard and Reserve
    mobilization rises to the point where civilian attorneys are needed.

Civilian attorneys will be standing by once they are organized and
educated, said Strong, who has practiced military law for 15 years.

Depending on the size of the call-up, civilian lawyers could help
reservists in pre-deployment stages, help deployed service members\'
families and provide any required legal assistance to reservists upon
their return home from active duty.

The need for supplementary legal resources was recognized about a decade
ago, Strong noted, when some 260,000 reserve component members were
called up for Gulf War duty.

\"There were a lot of state and local bar associations that helped then,
so the implication is they may be needed again,\" he said.

\"We\'re nowhere near that now, but the ABA is getting ready just in
case. Like the president said, this is a different sort of war,\" Strong
noted.