[templar]

As the Hangar Deck and V-3 Division Officer in the USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63) from Jun. 1970 until Nov. 1972, my most troublesome young men were the LBJ draftees.

How did you get draftees on a boat? I was unaware that anyone was drafted into anything except the army. Always heard the Navy had an excess of people trying to join it to avoid Viet Nam service.

[Trueblackman]

Only real AB's work on the flight deck....ABH-3 USS Independence CV-62 and USS George Washington CVN-73.

[Taxman]

Nope. LBJ started a program that allowed (nee "encouraged") people with criminal records, no high school education and low test scores to enter the Military -- called "Group IV" I think -- and also allowed draftees in the Navy in 1969 - 1972 time period.

We got some real losers who became big trouble makers -- recall the "race riots" in the USS Kitty Hawk and the USS Constellation in 1972/73?

Big mistake, because the boot camps were not allowed or encouraged to weed these bad dudes out of the service. They wound up in the Fleet, and created a lot of havoc.

Many of those who made it through boot camp subsequently wound up in the brig, or got "less than honorable" discharges" as a result of their inability to get along with their shipmates. Bad scene all the way around.

Robert Heinlein advanced a theory that in order to vote, a citizen had to have served in the Military. That is a concept worth exploring, IMHO. I would add that in addition to Military Service, certain other "public service" jobs could be added to Military Service to qualify for voting privileges. HST, being a bureaucrat would not be one of the "other" qualifying public service jobs.

Back to my original point: I think four to six months at MCRD San Diego or MCRD Parris Island would be a good experience for all 18 year olds. The sort of disciplined approach to their duties the US Marines instill in their young men and women would result in a net benefit to the society.

But that is just my humble opinion.