Question about military draft

[jjskribs]

I have been reading many posts concerning a reinstatement of the military draft. Many posters feel that we will never have a draft again.

Could someone please tell me why then it was necessary for my two sons to register with the Selective Service when they turned 18. Failure to register disqualifies young men from government financial aid.

 

[jfulcer]

<b>Why do we need Selective Service if there may never be a draft?</b>
As President Clinton informed Congress in 1994, "Maintaining the Selective Service System and draft registration provides a hedge against unforeseen threats and a relatively low cost 'insurance policy' against our underestimating the maximum level of threat we expect our Armed Forces to face."

also...

The Selective Service System and the registration requirement for America's young men provide our Nation with a structure and a system of guidelines which will provide the most prompt, efficient, and equitable draft possible, if the country should need it. America's leaders agree that despite the success of the All-Volunteer Force, registration with Selective Service must continue as a key component of national security strategy.

Quoted from www.sss.gov

You may hear people say there never would be a draft. Never say never. People should really say "They don't want to <i>have to</i> do a draft. Let's say 4 years from now, the war in Iraq is over, Afghanistan is stable... And China tries to invade the United States (ok, I know long shot). Would you want to sit back and say "oh..... we don't have enough people to fight so we'll just give in." or would you rather say "let's use a draft and call up enough soldiers to help protect our country..."

 

[BuckNaked]

I wouldn't say there would never be a draft, but I don't believe for a second there will be a draft for Iraq, which is what was being touted during the recent campaign.

 

[grumpy55]

wow, that is some quick backtracking. Now it is no longer that there will be no draft, it is that there will be no draft for Iraq.

 

[BuckNaked]

Originally posted by grumpy55
wow, that is some quick backtracking. Now it is no longer that there will be no draft, it is that there will be no draft for Iraq.

Isn't that what your party was claiming? That Bush would re-institute the draft? What would it be for, if not for Iraq?

Furthermore, if the Democrats are against ever having a draft, why didn't Kerry promise to eliminate Selective Service registration if elected? Guess he realized that you can never say never...

 

[bsnyder]

I'll go further than Buck and say that our military doesn't want a draft. They know, from the evidence, that our country's military force is much more effective and efficient as an all-volunteer one.

And I don't believe a draft will be necessary to fight the type of warfare we're fighting to win the War on Terror. It doesn't require the kind of troop levels we needed in WWI and WWII.

But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't keep the SS and our preparedness for an unforseen future event.

 

[BostonTigger]

Originally posted by grumpy55
wow, that is some quick backtracking. Now it is no longer that there will be no draft, it is that there will be no draft for Iraq.

It's not back tracking. Unless China, Russia, France or some other country starts a major world war, the draft won't happen. The President said he is against it and Congress voted against it. It's a democratic scare tatic and nothing else. Those who proposed the draft resolution in the house were democrats. Here's the link. House Site

 

[Teejay32]

Most Republicans don't want to see a draft and would prefer it be used only in dire emergencies, as in WWII after Pearl Harbor. [Though after Pearl Harbor there was also massive enlistment.] I'll go even further than Bet and say that since only Democrats bring up the draft at the moment, it must be the Democrats who want a draft at the moment, and I have no idea why more people aren't questioning the motives beyond "it's an election year - they were just kidding."

 

[BuckNaked]

I'll go even further than Bet and say that since only Democrats bring up the draft at the moment, it must be the Democrats who want a draft at the moment, and I have no idea why more people aren't questioning the motives beyond "it's an election year - they were just kidding."

I agree - the Democrats that wrote the draft bills said quite clearly that they wanted a draft NOW.

 

[DennisP]

The year I turned 18 was the first year of the military draft lottery drawing and the Democrats were in office. Your "number" was based on your birthday and the order in which each day of the year was drawn (from 1 to 366). If your number was low, say 1 to 100, there was an excellent chance you would be drafted for the Vietnam war. If your number was high (> 200), the chances of being drafted was virtually nil.

 

[Teejay32]

Democrats initiate drafts. Republicans prefer all-volunteer armed forces. Makes one wonder if the DNC isn't stabbing its own supporters in the back and blaming it on the opposition.

 

[bsnyder]

Originally posted by Teejay32
Democrats initiate drafts. Republicans prefer all-volunteer armed forces. Makes one wonder if the DNC isn't stabbing its own supporters in the back and blaming it on the opposition.

Nah, they'd never do that!

 

[shortbun]

My new favorite bumper sticker,"Four More Wars!"

Distasteful but poignantly possible. If Bush means what
he says about no draft, he should end selective service
registration now.

 

[shortbun]

Originally posted by Teejay32
Democrats initiate drafts. Republicans prefer all-volunteer armed forces. Makes one wonder if the DNC isn't stabbing its own supporters in the back and blaming it on the opposition.

no one here understands quite what the word "volunteer armed forces" means in the poor communities. For many young people,
it's join up or go hungry. $5.15 and no insurance does not
provide a stable life. I know a family living in a van right now-
a mother and three children. She will not move them into a
shelter because she's afraid they will be molested and she's very
slow to take help because she's so proud. These are the boys
who join "volunteer armed forces". You uppity republicans
sitting there in your warm homes not caring what is going on
in the real hard world make me sick.

 

[BostonTigger]

Originally posted by shortbun
no one here understands quite what the word "volunteer armed forces" means in the poor communities. For many young people,
it's join up or go hungry. $5.15 and no insurance does not
provide a stable life. I know a family living in a van right now-
a mother and three children. She will not move them into a
shelter because she's afraid they will be molested and she's very
slow to take help because she's so proud. These are the boys
who join "volunteer armed forces". You uppity republicans
sitting there in your warm homes not caring what is going on
in the real hard world make me sick.

Excuse me?! "Uppity Republicans? So you believe that Republicans could careless about what happens to the poor in this country? Man, what a closed little mind you have. And just so you know, yes, this is a "volunteer armed forces." People join the military upon their own free will. I did, I proudly served in the Navy during the first Pursian Gulf War...oh wait, maybe I shouldn't have said that. I guess that means I'm a war-loving-child-eating-poverty-hating-Nazi. Please forgive me, I've been brain washed. I really take offense to this, people join the military for many different reasons and one of them just so happens to be for some people to get out of the "hoods," or to give them a chance at life. I know a guy who joined up because he wanted an education. Did you know that the military will pay 75% of your tuition while you are serving in active duty? They do, and this is on top of the G.I.Bill...another great tool for getting an education. And this is on top of all the skills you can learn in the military as well...and I'm not talking about killing people. There's electical work, aircraft machanic, sonar techs, boiler techs, computer specialists, and on and on. So come down out of the clouds and step into the real work why don't you.

 

[AccidentalRepublican]

She will not move them into a shelter because she's afraid they will be molested

That is her choice not to get help and to live in a van. She could go to a family shelter and have her own room. They would help her with a job, help her found a place to live ......Does she want to work? Does she like living in the van?

I work with low income families and most of them don't mind living the way they do.

You are making assumptions about why people join the military.

 

[BuckNaked]

These are the boys who join "volunteer armed forces".

These are not the only "boys" that join the military, by a long shot.

 

[BuckNaked]

Originally posted by shortbun
You uppity republicans
sitting there in your warm homes not caring what is going on
in the real hard world make me sick.

By the way, we don't just sit in our warm homes...we go out and vote too.

 

[BostonTigger]

Originally posted by BuckNaked
By the way, we don't just sit in our warm homes...we go out and vote too.

Yes we do. I know I did.

 

[ThAnswr]

Originally posted by jjskribs
I have been reading many posts concerning a reinstatement of the military draft. Many posters feel that we will never have a draft again.

I've read the same posts. The fact is, if we need a draft, there will be a draft. End of story.