"All we're saying is, delay the implementation of the reservist plans until Parliament has had time to scrutinise their viability and cost-effectiveness".
Getting help can be difficult for many combat veterans who rely on the military's Tricare health plan — reservists and National Guard members living far from veterans clinics or military bases, along with some retirees — the Pentagon task force found.
Under the plan, reservists will still have to satisfy the rigorous medical and psychological evaluations, and intensified social and financial scrutiny, that active-duty personnel face in what is known as the Personal Reliability Program.
Under Mr Hammond's plans, reservists' training would increase to 40 days a year - with the promise that if they met their commitments they would be better equipped and funded.
The Army is also considering a plan to send reservists to relieve the 800 soldiers serving in the international observer force on the Sinai Peninsula, which has monitored the peace between Egypt and Israel since 1982.
The Army Reserve, formerly known as the Territorial Army, has been created in the Manx capital, Douglas, Designed to provide training for island recruits, it will be part of the Army's 2020 plan, in which reservists play a greater role in defence.
The unit will be part of the Army's 2020 plan, which will see reservists play a greater role in defence.
Many companies plan to keep called-up reservists on the payroll for at least six months, and many -- Albertson's, the supermarket chain, is one example -- have set up hot lines for family members to inquire about benefits.
Military officials said that they were conscious of the approaching holiday season and that they expected units would not actually be sent to Iraq until after Jan . 1 but the decision was made to send out the alert order now so the reservists could begin their planning for active duty.
For active-duty service members, the military faces a shortage of substance-abuse providers on bases across the country, while its health insurance plan, Tricare, makes it difficult for many reservists and their families to get treatment.
