posted on March 14, 2004 08:59:02 PM new
Agency initiates steps for selective draft
Congress shows little support for effort to draw skilled Americans
WASHINGTON -- The government is taking the first steps toward a targeted military draft of Americans with special skills in computers and foreign languages.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is adamant that he will not ask Congress to authorize a draft, and officials at the Selective Service System, the independent federal agency that would organize any conscription, stress that the possibility of a so-called "special skills draft" is remote.
Nonetheless, the agency has begun the process of creating the procedures and policies to conduct such a targeted draft in case military officials ask Congress to authorize it and the lawmakers agree to such a request.
"Talking to the manpower folks at the Department of Defense and others, what came up was that nobody foresees a need for a large conventional draft such as we had in Vietnam," said Richard Flahavan, a spokesman for the Selective Service System. "But they thought that if we have any kind of a draft, it will probably be a special skills draft."
Flahavan said Selective Service planning for a possible draft of linguists and computer experts began last fall after Pentagon personnel officials said the military needed more people with skills in those areas.
A targeted registration and draft "is strictly in the planning stage," he said, adding that "the whole thing is driven by what appears to be the more pressing and relevant need today" -- the deficit in language and computer experts.
The spokesman said it could take about two years to "to have all the kinks worked out."
The agency already has a special system to register and draft health care personnel ages 20 to 44 in more than 60 specialties if necessary in a crisis. According to Flahavan, the agency will expand this system to be able to rapidly register and draft computer specialists and linguists, should the need ever arise. But he stressed that the agency has received no request from the Pentagon to do so.
Congress, which would have to authorize a draft, has shown no interest in taking such a step.
Kathleen Long, a spokeswoman for Sen. Carl Levin, the senior Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said a draft has little support among lawmakers.
A spokesman for Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, agreed. "There are massive operations under way to retrain soldiers" for more pressing duties and to recruit specialties in demand such as language experts, said Harald Stavenas, Hunter's spokesman.
The military draft ended in 1973 as the U.S. commitment in Vietnam waned, beginning the era of the all-volunteer force. Mandatory registration for the draft was suspended in 1975 but resumed in 1980 by President Carter after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. About 13.5 million men, ages 18 to 25, are currently registered with the Selective Service.
The military has had particular difficulty attracting and retaining language experts, especially people knowledgeable about Arabic and various Afghan dialects. To address this need, the Army has a new pilot program under way to recruit Arabic speakers into the service's Ready Reserves. The service has signed up about 150 people into the training program.
A Pentagon official familiar with personnel issues stressed that the armed forces are against any form of conscription but acknowledged that the groundwork is already under way at the Selective Service System.
On Capitol Hill, Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., has introduced a bill that would reinstate the draft. The legislation has minimal support with only 13 House lawmakers signing on as co-sponsors. A corresponding bill in the Senate introduced by Sen. Fritz Hollings, the outgoing South Carolina Democrat, has no co-sponsors.
posted on March 15, 2004 11:14:39 AM new
Well if you won't pay what it takes to get skills in an open market I guess this would work unless people start avoiding occupations that may be drafted.
I don't see how it is any different than indenture or slavery though. Just because a bunch of old men who won't have to face it (or their children either it seems) decide they have the power to force you doesn't mean it is moral.
You can bet the kids of the big wheels will do some kind of cushy civilian service - not duck bullets.
And given the current way they are not allowing soldiers to leave when their hitch is up you might have no idea when your life would be your own again.
And how would you like to depend on a fellow who is in control of a computer system you can't run who is pissed off at being there? Especially if your life depends on it?
And how much would you trust the translation of a person from an ethnic group who was drafted against his will?
posted on March 15, 2004 11:52:33 AM new
Those who sign up in our armed forces go in knowing this is a possibility - up front - no surprises.
I don't see this much differently than kerry wanting to indenture high school students. It could just be his own beginning for what will be in store later.
posted on March 15, 2004 12:00:18 PM new
If the draft is implemented, I am sure there will be people using excuses to get out of it. I wonder what the military will do then?
Impeach Bush
Marriage is a Human Right not a Heterosexual Privledge.
Bigotry and hate will not be tolerated.
posted on March 15, 2004 12:19:25 PM new
logansdad - I think you can understand, from the first topic post, there is little support for this. That doesn't mean they can't prepare for the event so they're ready, should it become necessary.
To your question of 'what would the military do?', I'd like to mention something to you.
Most who have served their country, after the Vietnam era, did so because they wanted to and they chose to serve.
I believe in a crisis situation, there would be few who wouldn't want to be of help IF a time came when they're country called on them. So, for me personally, I don't see this as a problem.
posted on March 16, 2004 06:39:11 AM new
Linda: Most who have served their country, after the Vietnam era, did so because they wanted to and they chose to serve.
I believe in a crisis situation, there would be few who wouldn't want to be of help IF a time came when they're country called on them. So, for me personally, I don't see this as a problem
I think there is a good majority who joined the military back in the 80's and early 90's because there was no war or major conflicts in the world. They joined because wanted the government to pay for their college education as part of the G.I. Bill.
While some soldiers joined the military because of 9/11, given the choice again I don't think they would have joined if they would have known how this administration has handled the war.
If the government thought they would be getting enough volunteers to join the military, they would not even be thinking about instituting the draft again.
Impeach Bush
Marriage is a Human Right not a Heterosexual Privledge.
Bigotry and hate will not be tolerated.
posted on March 16, 2004 06:46:21 AM new
What the draft says loud and clear is - We intend to pursue this war and more like it and it doesn't matter if the people support it or not.
That was also the attitude of the Spanish government. They went allong with Bush and Blair knowing it was strongly against the will of their population and now they are in the street where they belong.
