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Draft, no not the NFL, the DoD!

A Bush adviser has actually suggested  re instituting the military draft.    For some history on this click  Kathy Gill’s column.   The minimum age has always been about 18. The maximum age has varied  with demand. During WW II it got as high as 45!  My recollection is that the last time during Viet Nam it went up to about 32-34.  There are numerous problems with a draft as the military learned during  Viet Nam.

The military normally needs about 200,000 folks a year  to join various branches.  But millions of folks turn 18. who to pick, and that is where the discrimination comes in , clearly most won’t be picked.  As for suggestions that everyone have to do something, well, this would require a gigantic  Depression Era type work program. And about the time folks got trained to do whatever they would probably finish their two to three year requirement.  This is a particular problem with a military draft. One reason so many died as soldiers and sailors in WW II, they simply did not know what they were doing, inadequate training. 

Oh I am sure you ladies will want to thank feminists and particularly now retired Patsy Schreoder D Colorado who insisted that women be admitted to all branches of the service and in fighting capacities.   I mean if women were not included in a new draft, would that be discriminatory?

Your thoughts?

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2 responses to “Draft, no not the NFL, the DoD!”

  1. Jerry Avatar
    Jerry

    You bring up a good point. Above all is what the process would be. How would you pick and whom? Should women be chosen? It’s a diffcult decsion. It’s difficult for me because take my father in law for instance:
    He was drafted in the vietnam war against his personal decision but he went nonetheless. He has really been scarred for life. He was a purple heart recipient for some intense battle experiences that he hardly shares with the family but I’ve overheard him speaking with military buddies who visit from time to time. They are terrible stories. He refuses to celebrate with us on the 4th because he doesnt like the fireworks. In fact on his drive home after the war he threw his purple heart and all his military belongings out the window. He is so upset and disgusted with the FED GOV for putting him in that situation, that he doesnt enjoy any of his GI benefits. No VA Home, nothing. He wants nothing to do with the Govt. Its an interesting point of view.
    Should we expose more young men to this seeing as how most are opposed to a war in Iraq?
    The other issue: Women.
    It’s funy you brought this up. I spoke to a friend of mine who is an officer, Capt. for USMC, and has served 2 tours to Iraq and 2 Afgahnistan (spelling?. He will be president one day and probably the most resiliant man I’ve ever known. You have to be a bit nuts to be in the USMC, but thats just my opinion. Anyway, I asked him what the feeling was about women in the military and should they be allowed into combat. His reply was that he and his men have fought over the issue. THESE ARE HIS VIEWS NOT MINE! His reply was that a woman will forever compromise the combat setting. His theory is that the Avg. man (not every) feels compelled to protect the woman from harm. Its very much like the GI Jane movie with Demi Moore when the Master Cheif’s actions are compromised, not by anything that Demi does, but by his own battle over the feeling of having to protect her from an attack. In other words he felt she would lose a battle with a man that he needed to go to her aid. I dont think men will ever get over that hump even if women proved themselves again and again.
    Thats just one view from a Capt in the USMC.
    Jerry

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  2. Dennis Elam Avatar
    Dennis Elam

    Great Post Jerry. Indeed many of the some 2 million that cycled thru Viet Nam came away, survived, worse for the experience. What we are going thru with the unhappiness over Iraq is just tha t, unhappiness, compared to the near revolt over Viet Nam. None of us that lived thru that have a desire to re live it again. It will be interesting to see how much press this gets the next few days.

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