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Religion Specialist Carole Mikita reportingThe call-up of reserves for the military build-up in the Middle East is now affecting missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
All potential missionaries who are part of any division of the military, like the reserves, must receive written approval before they can serve away from home for 18 months or two years.
Eyewitness News has learned that there are four Latter-day Saint missionaries who have left their missions because of a call-up to the reserves.
Another one who has received his call is Elder Josiah Jacobberger of Salt Lake City. He got all of the approval letters from the Marine Reserves before leaving last November. He then went into the Missionary Training Center in Provo, where he spent two months before traveling to Mexico, specifically the Yucatan Peninsula.
He is assigned to the Campechi Province, the small town of Escorado.
Just last Friday, his parents received a telegram saying Josiah must report to the Marines on March 4.
"We assumed that what the recruiter told our son two years ago would stand. There is a two-year waiver, except in the case of war that would be granted. And we said, 'good to go,' just like the Marine Corps says, but it's sad to see that it's possibly going to come to an end," says Josiah's father, Frank Jacobberger.
"But, as my son said, he'd be willing to support our country," he says.
Mr. Jacobberger has appealed to the Marines, faxing paperwork that shows his son had approval to serve a mission at this time.
He told me the Marines will study this case and let him know next Tuesday what his son is to do.
