Prospect Of A New Military Draft Drawing More Attention, Concern

LA Times ^ | July 14, 2004 | Elizabeth Mehren

[Former Military Chick]

Los Angeles Times July 14, 2004 Prospect Of A New Military Draft Drawing More Attention, Concern By Elizabeth Mehren, Times Staff Writer BOSTON — No law has been signed to revive the draft, and the president, the Pentagon and the presumed Democratic presidential nominee all oppose forced military service. Yet as fatalities in Iraq increase and as troops see their tours extended, there is a growing concern across the country that a draft may be in the offing. At summer barbecues, kids' baseball tournaments and worksites, conversations focus on whether a new generation will be called to mandatory military duty. Parents, grandparents and others are wondering how long America can rely on volunteers and reservists to supply a strong defense. "I have thought about this a great deal," said Barbara Nicosia, who works in a bookstore south of Boston and is the mother of a 14-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter. "I have a strong memory of the draft during Vietnam, and I don't like where they are going with this," she said.

[Former Military Chick]

Yet another article in the Early Bird about the draft. I guess they think the more the write it the more it will come true????

[Former Military Chick]

wow I did the auto excerpt and it turned out to be a mess sorry folks

[NavySEAL F-16]

the presumed Democratic presidential

The correct word is DEMOCRAT

[Steve_Seattle]

It will never happen; it's bull****. This is just intended to frighten the soccer moms into voting for Kerry. Pure pro-Dem spin and speculation.

[RockinRight]

Yadda, yadda, yadda...

[Steve_Seattle]

It is really disgusting the way the media in general and the L.A. Times in particular are all pulling out all the stops for Kerry. This is a fabricated story, full of quotes from concerned mothers, trying to push people in Kerry's direction.

[Tallguy]

Another liberal journalist pining for the bad-ole-days of the Draft...

[dandi]

"as fatalities in Iraq increase"

They make it sound like our troops have been decimated.

[Steve_Seattle]

Notice that this is ENTIRELY speculation by the author; Bush opposes a draft, but the author implies he'll create one after the election. There is not ONE FACT coming from the government, not one quote from anyone in the administration - not even anonymously - to support this innuendo.

[cksharks]

These bastards never give up.

[Former Military Chick]

I like that "yadda", "yadda", "yadda", cuz that is how i feel as well. But for the last 4 issues of the military Early Bird there are have been several articles, written by different folks on this subject. Somebody seems to want to give this legs. Liberal or not it is out there, now what do we do?

[Bean Counter]

I just ain't buying it.

The first person I ever heard mention the Draft, was Charlie Rangle. This was his pet project to supposedly balance the military racially or some such nonsense...

Anyway, the 'Rats are adopting this draft crap just to keep things stirred up....

[ken5050]

Respectfully..you seem a tad fixated on this subject..can one ask why?..the earth will be hit by a comet before we reinstitute the draft..

[AngryJawa]

How many times can the Administration, the SecDef, JCS Chairman, and any number of generals SPECIFICALLY state that they do not need, do not want, and have no plans for reconstituting the draft?

These braying jackasses on the left have got a serious hearing problem.

[TraditionalConservative]

This has already become an election issue, which is obvious; the fear associated with the subject is obvious as well. No one wants to vote for a "draft" president, and potentially both candidates could use it against the other for a variety of reasons: the right could say the left wants to implement it to even out racial and economic disparities; the left could say the right will implement it shortly after the next election because they know they're in a "big mess."

I don't believe Iraq is a big mess at all, frankly, but I do believe in the Powell Doctrine, which explicitly states that we must use overwhelming force to achieve our objectives: if we had ten times as many soldiers there, our men and women currently serving would have protection 10-fold of what they have now. An additional factor is that men and women serving there right now - including my friends, family and neighbors - have been there for 18 months, some continuously with routinely rejected R&R. Our people need a break. Putting our pilots on methamphetamine to keep them awake long enough to fly 36-hour sorties and having exhausted troops running continuously in 120 degree heat is not the answer. Frankly, we're overextended, we need twice as many troops as we have, and if people won't volunteer to step up to the plate, we'll have to make them through a draft. We wanted this war, so let's go fight it.

[bagman]

What people don't understand is that the military is a high-tech operation now. It needs career soldiers (and sailors, airmen, marines, etc) rather than draftees who would be in for a couple of years and then be gone. The present weapons, tactics, and doctrines are not suited to a conscript army.

[Former Military Chick]

Ken, I am fixed on it, because, folks like me know the truth, but, others who are not informed read this in their paper and believe it will happen. They might believe a comet will hit their living room as well. It is a pattern. I resent it being pushed like a narcotic.

[Former Military Chick]

This has already become an election issue, which is obvious; the fear associated with the subject is obvious as well.

Thank you kind TC, your words are much better then mine as to why I post these articles on the draft. There is a pattern, I agree this will be a an issue, is an issue for this election. I suppose the best one can do, write your paper posting an oped expressing the lack of merit the draft has. Just a thought.

[meenie]

If the armed forces are so professional, high tech, so specialized, why are they yanking all the pot-bellied NG's and Reserves in that have not been in condition for years? Can we say cannon fodder or mujadeen target practice? I thought so. The requirement is a body temperature and good pulse, as it has always been.

[ken5050]

Fair enough..no argument with that...BTW....did you see my legnthy comment to you yesterday..