Do you think we are on the verge of a military draft?

Question

With the media coverage of the recall of Marines in the ready reserves the rumors are flying that this is the last step before instigating a draft. Do you feel the military will have do this? Why or why not?

Answer 1

A draft would have to approved by Congress. The election cycle for the House of Representatives is two years. No draft has occurred since 18 year old could vote, although hey turn out in relatively small numbers. If a draft were proposed, I suspect we would see record turnouts for that age group, most who would not approve of a draft, or at least candidates that support it.

As one who served over a decade in the all-volunteer military, I wouldn't want to serve for a minute with a draftee. I would not want my life to depend on someone who was there against their will. Most young people these days are selfish, egotistical, and unpatriotic. They would have no idea what it means to serve without asking first "what do i get out of it?"

Answer 2

Someone at my church is a Marine reserve he was already over there for about 3 or 4 month in 2003 he had just had a baby girl and now he is probably looking to go over again even though he only has 6 more weeks on his contract some of his unit have gone over voluntarily. He clearly doesn’t want to go for one his wife just had their second child a few months ago. Since he has only been over once and for a relatively short time he’ll be at the front of the line. Since they said they try to have people who havent done many tours already.

I don’t know if the draft will ever be reinstated with many people not willing to join the active force and even the reserve now who knows. My father was formerly in the military( via the draft) and he still has some connections and the enrollment is not what they want it to be, regardless of what they may be claming. During WW II people flocked to join up , even lied about their age.

Its been talked about for a few years now probably since the war started. I recall having a conversation with my aunt and uncle, my aunt was sure if they reinstated the draft woman wouldn’t be included where as my Uncle was certain they would, looks like he was right. I wouldnt be easy to reinstate it , could take years of course they could have already been working on it.

Answer 3

A draft is not going to be an issue for a long time, we have so many of our men and women on standby ready to go at a moments notice . We have thousands of thousands in the reserves plus the growing number of young men and women are still being recruited. I read somewhere that the total number of new soldiers joining our armed forces every year is almost 6% of the total number of High School Graduates (this is country wide). So if we have 500k grads we have about 27k joining on there own. I wouldnt worry about a draft.

Answer 4

The only ones pushing for a draft are liberals. (I don't understand why, either, since they loathe the military...)

And for all those who say that the only way we're meeting enlistment goals is by lowering the standards, as a former Army recruiter (from 85-89) I have to tell you, the standards are still higher now than they were when I recruited.

Further, retention is at its highest peak ever. Fewer are leaving the service than ever before. So, stop drinking the Kool Aid.

Answer 5

There will be no draft, mainly because voluntary enlistment is at a all time high and the Armed forces have met their recruiting goals for the last 15 months.

Answer 6

Yes we are getting close to reinstating the draft. With the way the media is twisting everything that's happening in the middle east there are fewer and fewer people that are volunteering for the Armed services, and unless this number grows they will have to reinstate the draft.

Answer 7

My guess is, we are right on the cusp, as to which way it will go if this latest call up isn't adequate, or if another conflict breaks out.
The military complex does not make the determination regarding the draft. In the US we have an office for selective service that will make this call, along with the dept. of defense.

Answer 8

the answers you got here are the same answers i got to the same question a month or two ago, mostly. now we have the usmc recall, and people still don't get it.

the oft repeated line is that all branches have been meeting their enlistment goals, blah, blah, blah. if that's so, why is it we have forty year old national guardsmen in iraq? and why the marine recall? why did they have to pull troops out of iraq to deal with katrina? why can't the usa contribute to the united nations international peacekeeping force in lebanon? as for the guy down below stating that it takes two years to pass through congress, he should look up the Universal National Service Act of 2003.

and what are they planning on paying these troops with? scrip?

Answer 9

Honestly? With the steadily dropping support of the Bush Administration's various wars, I think instituting a draft would be the kiss of death for President Bush. It's bad enough when people don't approve of *volunteers* being sent out to an unpopular war - what'll happen if the American public is forced?

What's more likely, I think, is that incentives (money, opportunities) for joining the military will be increased. Mid-term elections are too close. As one site said, "The question should be put frankly to the American people in time for the mid-term elections: Is the mission in Iraq important enough to sacrifice your kid?" http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/40786/

I like the way one writer put it:

"Having been involved in intelligence and military matters for more than two decades, this much is clear: we cannot sustain our commitments today; with any additional wars to fight, we will be left with only two choices: either inadequate forces creating more Iraqs, or adequate forces that can only be maintained through a revival of the draft, no matter what it is called. That is the fact.

When these neoconservative voices rush to the airwaves to proclaim the wars they would like (others) to fight, Democrats, Republicans and all in the media should ask:

If you want war with Iran, where will you get the troops, and will you bring back the draft?

If you want war with Syria, where will you get the troops, and will you bring back the draft?

If you want war with North Korea, where will you get the troops, and will you bring back the draft?

It is high time and long overdue that the United States resumes its role of world diplomatic and political leadership and brings in people of world-wide credibility and stature to at least test the waters for game-changing diplomacy.

For those who prefer the course of war, we must all ask, on every occasion: for the wars you would like to fight, where will you get the troops, and are you prepared to bring back the draft?"

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2006/082306a.html

Anyway, one thing is guaranteed - if the draft *does* come back, it'll be the end of Bush - and it'll be under a nice sleek new name like "The Mandatory Liberty Act".

This is what I find particularly scary:

"The Army has begun to let in more people without high school degrees or who score poorly on aptitude tests. Tattoos that once would keep a young man out of the Army are being tolerated more often. Older recruits are being allowed to sign up.

Meantime, reserves have been called to duty in ways not seen in generations.

'In the past three years we’ve gone from strategic reserves” — troops called upon rarely in emergencies — “to operational reserves” used to fill ongoing manpower shortages, said David R. Segal, the director of the Center for Research on Military Organization at the University of Maryland. “That’s not what they understood when they signed up.'”

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/15345565.htm

Oh boy...

Answer 10

I think we are. If it will help in ending this war than I'm all for it. My husband left last week for Kuwait, and if that means he will come home sooner (by the war ending) than I will be okay with the draft. Although it does make me nervous for those young men who are not already in the military. They will have no preparation of what is to come for them.