The involuntary call-up was "to fill critical manpower requirements in support of the global war on terrorism," the marines said in a statement.
It is only the second time since the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 that the marines have resorted to involuntary call ups from its rarely tapped pool of inactive reservists.
The move comes amid pressure on the US military to sustain a 133,000 member ground force in Iraq and more than 20,000 soldiers in Afghanistan.
A spokeswoman said the Marine Corps received authorisation from President George W. Bush on July 27 to activate as many as 2,500 members of the so-called Individual Ready Reserves at a time.
Those called up will serve for 12 to 18 months, Major Gabrielle Chapin said.
"A relatively small number will be selected," she said. "The first marines to report for active duty, after their five calendar months notification, will not report until late spring or early summer 2007."
But the authority is open-ended, allowing the marines to use involuntary call ups to keep a steady stream of reservists entering the service as others leave.
Major Chapin said the marines will use the authority to cover shortfalls in certain skills that have emerged in what is expected to be a long war on terrorism.
In particular, they are looking for former marines with skills in combat arms, communications, intelligence, engineers and military police.
They will be drawing from a pool of 59,000 people who served in the marines but not for the full term of their contract, which is usually about four years.
Those who do not sign up with the marine corps reserves after leaving active duty are automatically assigned to the Individual Ready Reserve, a back up that in the past has been used only in national emergencies.
It was first employed in the Korean War, then not used again until the 1991 Gulf War.
During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the marines were authorised to activate up to 7,500 marines. Fewer than 2,000 were called up involuntarily.