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Anyone feel a draft?
Maine Today ^ | 4/11/04 | Donald N. Zillman

Posted on 04/11/2004 2:23:01 PM PDT by Rams82

Prominent lawmakers such as Rep. Charles Rangel of New York and others argue that our volunteer military is not representative of society, and that it offends fairness to have casualties in Iraq disproportionately drawn from members of America's less advantaged classes. A presidential election is shaping up in which two veterans of the Vietnam era have had to assert or defend their performance in that conflict - America's last draft-based war.

To anyone under age 45, discussions of the draft must seem like discussions of the Great Depression seemed to their parents. The last time a young American male faced any selective service obligation beyond a one-time registration was in 1973. Even to Americans over 45, memories of the draft may have faded or been frozen inaccurately in time. Before we engage in serious consideration of resuming the military draft, it is important to understand the social, military and political forces that originally led to the draft - which, from its beginnings, has been a litmus test of public attitudes toward civic responsibility.

The modern military draft (also known as the selective service or conscription) began in World War I. Behind solid encouragement from the military establishment, President Woodrow Wilson declared we would raise the large army needed to win the war "chosen on the principle of universal liability to service," rather than by the traditional reliance on volunteers. A somewhat resistant Congress agreed.

Efficiency and fairness, in that order, prompted the decision for the draft. Workers in the factories and on the farms were as important as soldiers on the front line. Concerns for fairness dictated that the privileged should face the same obligation as the disadvantaged. Here, the memory of the Civil War draft loomed large, where wealthy draftees had been permitted to "buy a substitute" - causing rioting in New York City.

In a crucial decision, Congress put the work of selecting the draftees for the first world war not on the military, but on the civilian "friends and neighbors" in the draftees' local communities. It was a structure that would guide selective service for the rest of the century. The law also provided the basics of selection, which first applied only to young men ages 21 to 30. Three grounds for exemption - physical and mental health, responsibility for the support of spouses, children or parents, and performance of work deemed in the national interest - did disqualify better than half of the registrants from induction into the armed forces.

In a remarkable assertion of national purpose, almost 10 million young men registered for service on June 5, 1917, the one day all those eligible were to enlist. By the hundreds of thousands, they were selected for service, trained stateside and shipped to France where they helped the Allies win the war. They were joined by thousands of other volunteers, who often were too young or too old for conscripted service. The promise of equal service was more than talk. While many privileged men of draft age avoided actual service, many did not. Among the fatalities of the war in combat or military training were one son of President Theodore Roosevelt (two other sons were seriously wounded), former New York City Mayor John Purroy Mitchel, and veteran Massachusetts Congressman Augustus Gardner.

Altogether, about 4 million men served the United States in World War I. At the dawn of American involvement in World War II, the picture was different. The American Army at that time was smaller than the forces of some Balkan nations, which prompted a return to the draft in 1940. That act was renewed a few months before the attack on Pearl Harbor - by one vote in Congress. In this second experience with world war, 12 million Americans would eventually serve. And despite the remarkable service of our "civilian soldiers" in the "good war," a large number of those troops were there because of the draft.

The start of the Cold War shortly after the German and Japanese surrenders in 1945 kept the draft as part of the American experience for young men. With the exception of one year in the late 1940s, conscription was a fact of life from 1940 to 1973. Draftees were a considerable portion of the forces that fought wars in Korea and Vietnam and that served in the tense 40-year standoff with the Soviet Union and Communist China.

The maturing of the baby boom generation and the considerable downsizing of the armed forces after the end of World War II posed a challenge that would eventually help to undermine the draft. Unlike during World War II, maintenance of military strength did not now require the services of every physically eligible young man. How, then, would the "selective" in selective service really work?

By the time of the Vietnam War, the answer was rather clear - the children of the privileged classes could avoid military service if they wished. As Vietnam became both bloody and controversial, large numbers of them wished exactly that. The draft laws and regulations aided their mission. Extensive physical disability standards provided ways for otherwise healthy young men to be physically disqualified, often with the help of supportive family doctors. Extensive occupational deferments provided a way to avoid military service, as did enrollment in higher education, which encouraged some students to pursue a decade-long ramble through undergraduate and graduate institutions.

It was during this time that enrollment in one of the military reserves or National Guard became popular as an avenue of exemption. By contrast with the level of preparedness of today's "total force," these auxiliary units were often woefully below the military capability of the active armed forces. They also provided a reasonably strong assurance to a prospective recruit that duty would only minimally disrupt a civilian career and could often guarantee avoiding Vietnam service. As a consequence, the draft may have served to provide manpower for an unpopular war, but it assuredly did not spread the sacrifice among all social classes.

President Richard Nixon came to office amid the debate over the fairness and efficiency of the draft. His political instinct led him to adopt suggestions for an all-volunteer force for a war that he needed to de-escalate (at the height of the war, the U.S. had more than 550,000 troops in that country). His correct perception was that sufficient volunteers could be found if pay and conditions of service life improved. A generation of new military leaders, with Colin Powell as a most visible member, rebuilt the war-shattered armed forces in the mode of the volunteer army.

That armed force has served the country well for three decades in which the demand for personnel has been light, when we have avoided lengthy and unpopular wars, and when fairness concerns have not loomed large. If we are now facing a world in which those assumptions no longer are true, all bets may be off for the continued success of an all-volunteer force.

The 20th century experience should convince us that we must think very hard about both efficiency and fairness in any consideration of resuming the draft. It is pivotal to ensure that our military is truly representative of the people.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: charlesrangel; conscription; draft; draftregistration; rangel; selectiveservice; thedraft
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To: reluctantwarrior
Bingo!
81 posted on 04/11/2004 4:56:21 PM PDT by leadpenny
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To: leadpenny
What happened to very bad dog on that other thread?
82 posted on 04/11/2004 4:59:34 PM PDT by reluctantwarrior (Strength and Honor, just call me Buzzkill for short......)
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To: reluctantwarrior
I'm not sure if your joking or not. If your not I'd love to hear from you. (If you are I'd still love to hear from you if you really are going to Afghanistan). If you were meaning to point out that my post was somewhat fanciful, I plead guilty. But no more so than people who are calling for a draft. That won't happen unless things get much much worse at home.

I wonder what issues would arise with the various government officials should a "Third Oregon Volunteer Infantry" be organize??

83 posted on 04/11/2004 5:00:46 PM PDT by Jack Black
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To: Defender2
Hey WW II was won by draftees doing the grunt work. But not to worry the military is now being privatized so a draft won't be necessary nor will converting the Reserves into Regular Army.

We could also outsource the military to the unemployed of the world. We could hired them for cheaper than Americans.

This would be free to today's society in live-style and tax cuts. Costs for turning wars over to private enterprise and outsourcing would be added to the deficit and passed to the next generation. I love it when a plan comes together.

84 posted on 04/11/2004 5:04:02 PM PDT by ex-snook (Glory to You, Word of God, Lord Jesus Christ.)
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To: ex-snook
As long as that backstabbing grenade throwing, akbar is not behind me while I'm fighting the enemy, it works for me!!!!
85 posted on 04/11/2004 5:06:52 PM PDT by Defender2 (Defending Our Bill of Rights, Our Constitution, Our Country and Our Freedom!!!!)
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To: Jack Black
Well I was joking about sending people because the military has no sense of humor about extra legal combatants on the modern battlefield. I am going to Afghanistan for nine months, I spent six months in Africa last year. My reward for being good at tracking down bad guys related to the GWOT. I don't mind fanciful posts and generally support the idea of organizing volunteer units that could be federalized for service. I would welcome the Third Oregon Volunteer Infantry in Afcrackistan. I want a draft for the immediate expansion of the army by three or four divisions, and I mean immediate. Not because I know something but because I don't know the intentions of all the various scum bags out there...
86 posted on 04/11/2004 5:07:36 PM PDT by reluctantwarrior (Strength and Honor, just call me Buzzkill for short......)
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To: Defender2
You've been in the military for 28 years. Think of all the crime committed by service men and women during that time. With few exceptions, it would have been committed by volunteers.

You came in 5 or 6 years after the draft had ended and can only know what it was like to serve with draftees (except those who decided to stay past their two year committment) by what you have read or heard. I served with draftees before, during and after Vietnam. I even trained some draftees in Basic Training in 73. You are wrong in your assessment. Period.
87 posted on 04/11/2004 5:08:39 PM PDT by leadpenny
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To: leadpenny
That's what you think, period. guess what, I don't want to worry about enemies behind my back while I'm fighting them headon!!!! keep your draft to yourself, and no thank you!!!!

D2
88 posted on 04/11/2004 5:11:53 PM PDT by Defender2 (Defending Our Bill of Rights, Our Constitution, Our Country and Our Freedom!!!!)
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To: reluctantwarrior
Like I posted to you on that other thread, I think the mods monitor what goes on and decide to check on some - especially newbies. Many times I think they have signed up under false pretenses, ie. they were banned before under a different screen name. I sure didn't turn him in. But he's gone.
89 posted on 04/11/2004 5:14:41 PM PDT by leadpenny
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To: Defender2
I served with draftees who would have laughed at you.

I'm laughing at you. And, I pity your bigotry.
90 posted on 04/11/2004 5:17:31 PM PDT by leadpenny
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To: Seruzawa
There are few things in history easier to do than raise an army. A nation that cannot raise one voluntarily is not worth fighting for.

Perhaps the answer is to use the draft to staff the army for the defense of the nation itself and the borders, and to use only volunteers for actions outside the 50 states.

That would leave some interesting circumstances for the Air Force, who might staff some stateside bases with conscripts while volunteers would be eligible to serve overseas at much more rewarding rates of pay and other benefits. Likewise the Navy would have some volunteer-specific circumstances aboard ships.

And I'd expect the Marines would have no problem maintaining an all-volunteer force, though they've resorted to drafted Marines in the past.

91 posted on 04/11/2004 5:20:36 PM PDT by archy (The darkness will come. It will find you,and it will scare you like you've never been scared before.)
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To: leadpenny
You have insulted me to the nth degree in your previous post to me without giving you one solitary personal insult to you. How dare you put any labels on me, leadpenny. In this instance you are looking into the mirror saying all those insults to me, when you are really insulting yourself.

Keep your draft to yourself, thanks!!!!
92 posted on 04/11/2004 5:22:22 PM PDT by Defender2 (Defending Our Bill of Rights, Our Constitution, Our Country and Our Freedom!!!!)
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To: reluctantwarrior; Cannoneer No. 4; Jack Black
There is a statue in Prescott, Arizona of Bucky Oniell he was in the 1st US volunteer cavalry during the Spanish American War. I think it is a smashing idea and lets do it today.....I am going to Afghanistan in a few weeks and will send a note on how many people we need.


93 posted on 04/11/2004 5:26:49 PM PDT by archy (The darkness will come. It will find you,and it will scare you like you've never been scared before.)
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To: Defender2
I think the broad brush strokes painted him and many draftees from other times in a pretty unfavorable light. I understand your angst about Akbar but he was a volunteer, it is always a mixed bag when you recriut or draft people and it sometimes defies easy categorization. Akbar was a traitor, and some draftees might be too. But many would be patriots. Just like some volunteers from the street gangs join to get schooled on weapons and tactics then take it back to the barrio to wage war on their rival bangers. Some volunteers are anti US posers looking to be fifth column traitors I'm sure some draftees would be too.
94 posted on 04/11/2004 5:30:05 PM PDT by reluctantwarrior (Strength and Honor, just call me Buzzkill for short......)
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To: Defender2
Go see the Chaplain. Maybe he'll punch your TS (that's not Top Secret) card for ya.


You have demeaned the reputations of millions of honorable draftees of the last century and you need to apologize to them.

And, it's not my draft. It is and would be the law of the land.
95 posted on 04/11/2004 5:33:03 PM PDT by leadpenny
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To: reluctantwarrior
I know akbar was a volunteer!!!! I don't want anyone with the same mentality drafted into the service whereupon I have to watch my back instead of being able to put my trust and faith the troops watching my back, period!!!!

96 posted on 04/11/2004 5:33:37 PM PDT by Defender2 (Defending Our Bill of Rights, Our Constitution, Our Country and Our Freedom!!!!)
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To: leadpenny
Thank God, you are not in a position to make the draft the law of the land!!!!:-)


D2
97 posted on 04/11/2004 5:34:50 PM PDT by Defender2 (Defending Our Bill of Rights, Our Constitution, Our Country and Our Freedom!!!!)
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To: Defender2
We have the right size military for fighting third and fourth rate militaries but we are low on dudes and dudettes and need to expand the army by three or four divisions. How would you do that with out a draft?
98 posted on 04/11/2004 5:37:45 PM PDT by reluctantwarrior (Strength and Honor, just call me Buzzkill for short......)
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To: Defender2
Oh, but I am. I am a citizen and I have a voice.
99 posted on 04/11/2004 5:38:50 PM PDT by leadpenny
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To: Rams82
Screw being truly representative of the people. We need three times the military force we now have. This country needs a draft now.
100 posted on 04/11/2004 5:41:32 PM PDT by mercy
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