Rep. Ellen Tauscher says Bush administration policies could very well break our military.
Posted on 04/04/2005 7:37:55 AM PDT by SmithL
Washington -- The war-strained all-volunteer U.S. military has a growing manpower problem and a cross-section of Washington policymakers has proposed a solution -- increase the size of the regular military by 30,000, 40,000 or even 100, 000 or more.
While just about all the proponents maintain they want to achieve the increase by offering recruits bigger financial incentives or through appeals to patriotism, lurking in the background is a possibility that for now remains anathema to all but a few. The military draft, which coughed up its last conscript in 1973, could make a comeback if recruiting doesn't pick up and if America's commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan turn into long-term occupations or if the Bush administration's tough-minded foreign policy means military action in places like Iran or North Korea.
It's important to note that the Bush administration adamantly scorns the idea of a resumed draft. It won't even agree to a permanent increase in the Army's size, which Congress temporarily boosted by 30,000 last year, saying instead that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's plan to transform the military into a high-tech, mobile force will meet the nation's needs.
But the administration does admit it has a problem, particularly in filling the ranks in the 500,000-person regular Army and the 675,000-person Army National Guard and Army Reserve, which have been called upon to carry a large part of the burden of deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan. In a March 23 press conference, Army Secretary Francis Harvey said that in the first two months of 2005, the active Army was meeting 94 percent of its recruiting goal, the Reserve 90 percent and the Guard 75 percent.
"Obviously, I'm concerned about the National Guard. I am cautiously optimistic about the Reserve and the active component,''
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
These lefties can't get over the fact that we are winning this war, and we're doing it without following their advice.
God, and this jacksass woman is my Congressperson.
I may barf.
How many thousand troops do we have in South Korea, Japan, Germany ?
"The military draft, which coughed up its last conscript in 1973, could make a comeback if recruiting doesn't pick up and if America's commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan turn into long-term occupations or if the Bush administration's tough-minded foreign policy means military action in places like Iran or North Korea."
A military draft (after Bush promised it wouldn't happen in 2004) will put Hillary in the Oval Office.
There's no faster way to lose the "red state soccer mom" vote than drafting their 18yo sons.
Mine, too...though in my case, she's an impovement over the one I had before: the ghastly nitwit Lynne Woolsey. ;)
If we only had the 9 divisions that were eliminated under the Klintoon administration.
I miss Bill Baker.
If they increased the pay for soldiers, they won't have a problem with recruiting. Heck, if the pay were better, my wife might not object so strongly to me going back in. The bennies and retirement plan used to be pretty good.
Bring back the draft. I support that! :)
I knew they must have a problem when an officer tried to convince me to reenlist a couple weeks ago. LOL
> How many thousand troops do we have in South Korea, Japan, Germany ?
How many in Bosnia?
At least that's what the Panel on Military Preparedness over at the DUmmie site were warning everyone just a month or two ago. See my tagline.
We have no problem paying connected unionists well over 100k a year.. and the endless numbers of government bureaucrats even much more then that..
Yet suddenly when it comes to paying the troops fighting on the frontlines, there is no money available.
If we paid 1 million active duty combat troops aka marines and army.. each 150k a year. That would cost 150 billion dollars.
Our federal budget this year was 2.6 trillion.. yet there is no money there for them?!
Just be happy that you're not represented by Cynthia McKinney.
Probably more than we have in the Philippines.
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