The U.S. Army is preparing to recall thousands of former soldiers who are part of the Individual Ready Reserve, media outlets reported June 29.

The Individual Ready Reserve includes any soldier who left the Army without fulfilling at least eight years on active duty.

The Individual Ready Reserve was called up last during the 1991 Gulf War. The Voice of America referred to the reserve, which includes more than 100,000 people, as “rarely-used.”

Media outlets placed the potential call-up between 5,000 and 6,000 soldiers, all of whom are currently civilians. Some members of the Individual Ready Reserve volunteered for service as the Iraq War began, but many have not even taken part in typical reserve activities for years.