Ordering the Selected Reserve of the Armed Forces to Active Duty

President Clinton ordered Selected Reserve units and individual members to active duty to augment U.S. forces for Operation Uphold Democracy, the military intervention to restore Haiti's civilian government. The order delegated activation authority to the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of Transportation (for Coast Guard).

Federal Register 59 FR 47781

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Impact dates

Sep 15, 1994
EO effective immediately

Key directives

Authorize Secretary of Defense to order Selected Reserve units and unassigned individual members to active duty
Authorize Secretary of Transportation to order Coast Guard Selected Reserve to active duty when Coast Guard not operating under Department of the Navy
Activate reserves to augment active forces for operational missions to restore civilian government in Haiti

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

activation authority delegated to Secretaries; reservists subject to call-up effective upon order

Near term (90d)

deployment and integration of activated reserve units into Haiti operations

Long term

potential precedent for unilateral presidential reserve activation for overseas democracy restoration missions; operational lessons for reserve-component employment

Risks & tensions

Constitutional tension: unilateral presidential activation without explicit congressional declaration of war for overseas regime-change mission
Legal risk: 'internal management' disclaimer attempts to foreclose judicial review of activation decisions
Operational risk: rapid reserve mobilization for complex stability operation in Haiti with unclear duration
Text vague on scope: no numerical cap on reservists activated, no geographic limitation beyond 'operational missions to restore civilian government in Haiti'