Retired going back to active?

In my school's JROTC we have a Colonel and a Sargeant. The Colonel is retired from vietnam and I'm not sure if the sargeant ever went to war. So the colonel broke the news to us that he got a letter asking if wanted to go to active duty again to either replace a colonel in a command so that that colonel can go to Iraq. Or send him straight to Iraq. He is taking considerations and will probably not be going. I hope he doesn't and stays with us. He served his country enough already IMO. So anyways, how is it possible that you can just active yourself back after retiring? Can you still get promoted?

[mtsu_av8er]

That's a Sergeant...

[eodfe]

When Afganistan broke out I enterained that thought of going back active from retirement. I called a buddy of mine that worked at the manpower section in Millington and he said they were accepting retirees that volunteered to go back active. The only problem was that I would more than likely be placed at the EOD school house instructing so the younger guys could go to the war.

If I were to go back active, it would be like starting from the time I retired; I would be in line for promotion, and have the same rank, time in service, time in grade as I did as when I retired.

In the 80's I flew with another FE that had been asked to return to active duty from retirement because we were at the time very short of Flight Engineers. He deceided just to stay in for two years, have some fun and retire again.