I wouldn't call myself a bona fide expert, but I've been writing on military subjects for over a decade and know plenty, thank you. Let me put it this way: Last year a military historian was sending me chapters of his book to comment on, and he quoted one of my articles as a source. Sorry, but disagreeing with you on the reasons for recruiting dificulties doesn't make me ignorant.
I think if you look at economic data and compare it to recruitment in non-draft eras, you'll find a good economy hurts recruitment a lot no matter how patriotic the population is.
"Publicity stunt BS. Not that her service isn't noble and valuable, but if you really think we're falling so short on recruiting that we have to go out and find Grandma's, you're smoking something."
"BTW, before the next time you lecture an X-er who served in the volunteer military about the vaunted patriotism of the Boomers, you might want to consider the reasons that many of those young Boomer men volunteered. A man who joined up served less time (2 years vs. 3, IIRC) and was far more likely to get into a technical specialty and learn a trade. Also, if one preferred a certain service it was best to volunteer rather than taking a chance. This was especially true of the Air Force and Navy, which received far fewer draftees than the Army and Marines.
"I wouldn't call myself a bona fide expert, but I've been writing on military subjects for over a decade and know plenty, thank you."
"Let me put it this way: Last year a military historian was sending me chapters of his book to comment on, and he quoted one of my articles as a source."
OK, I believe you, I don't know if you write about administrative things like pay or what, but you laid down that false information about the draft as though you knew what you were talking about.
Saying draftees served longer than enlistees, and talking about navy and air force draftees with complete confidence seems a little odd, and it was odd that you kept trying to paint me as attacking the military, when I was attacking their lesser brothers for not joining them.