The Draft...coming back?

[masshole]

I keep reading on various sites that Draft Boards have been reactivated in some areas... any truth to this?

If true THIS would certainly give the Soccermoms something to think about.

[lcordero]

1. soldiers are getting rotated from Iraq to Afghanistan with no rest

Of course there will be a draft.

[Captain Absolut]

2. Supposedly

The draft will start again on June 15th, 2005, but this topic has been started before and we don't know if it's normal proceedure or there are gearing up for a draft according to the budgetary report. I actually didn't know what the agreed upon notion was on this board. I would say it's starting up, it makes me hate Bush more.

[Demobrat]

3. From what I've read, draft boards are quietly being staffed

and are under orders to be up and running within a certain amount of time, I forget what. The administation denies that this means anything. Reinlistments are way down and people are being forced to stay in the military. Of course there will be a draft. It will start with medical and other "essential" personnel, including linguists.

[masshole]

5. this should be a front and center issue

IF the draft is in fact coming back, it seems to me this would become the single biggest issue to bring Bush down.

[Doctor_J]

4. Would my kids have to go?

They are draft age and healthy, but have campaigned against Bush, for Democrats, and marched against the invasion. Would they qualify as Consci's?

[DuctapeFatwa]

6. Probably not. Only the poor will be told to go

the draft thus serves the dual purpose of providing disposable military resources for the purposes of imposing America's will on its properties around the globe, where terrorist factions may be plotting to steal American oil, and simultaneously reduce the number of undesirables within the US itself.

edit to change title to "will be told to go," since it is inaccurate to say that anyone will HAVE to go, since whether to obey regime decrees is a personal decision that can be made only by the individual.

[Doctor_J]

9. I would rather they NOT take

rich-kids deferments like student or Nat Guard or fake 4F's like Limpballs got (though we probably have the means). I would rather they get relief based on conscience, for which they both qualify. IOW, I would prefer they make an issue of staying home instead of just quietly refusing.

[DuctapeFatwa]

10. Good for you, and good for them! If there is an American Friends Svc

committee (Quakers) in your community, they are some good folks to go to for information for conscientious objectors :)

[nostamj]

7. you need to do some research

wish I had the links handy but, registering for CO status is going to be much more difficult under bushco. (as is any thought of a flight to canada. they've shut that down already)

[Demobrat]

22. No. Conscientious objectors usually do so on

religious grounds, and even then it's not that easy. Protesting W makes you unpatriotic, not undesirable.

[justsam]

8. there are several

problems with a draft
(1) to serve in the military, a person has to be drug free so if they don't want to go, it's simple, don't go to canada, just smoke a joint and fail the test
(2) they have to be a high school grad-- so who goes to war, the kids that stay in school, the drop-outs stay home and do what ever drop outs do, they sure as hell aren't going to find a job in America.

(3) I think a draft is good and i think everyone should serve the military in some capacity, but remember the war on drugs that was declared in the 70s, we have to finish that one first. remember no kid left behind, we have to follow up on that one also, then maybe in 40 yrs we could have a fair draft with everyone doing their service.
I am an Army veteran

[Dirty Hippie]

13. I read somewhere

a bunch of reservists failed their drug tests and they sent them to Iraq anyway.

[PaDUer]

15. I read that report

also..seems they don't care if you're drugged up or not..

[justsam]

17. they probably did,

if i were in the military now and got called, i wouldn't say anything about being on drugs either, could wind up in the slammer for a few years instead of doing a little duty- plus lose all the time built up toward a pension-- it's a hard call, take a chance on not getting killed or lose 10-15 yrs on a pension.

[Algorem]

11. Bush or Kerry will set it in motion in November.

[bobbieinok]

14. Kerry?????????Why do you say this?????????

...

[DuctapeFatwa]

27. He has said he doesnt think it's needed "at this time"

Iraq is a big country, and it is taking more assets than they thought to secure America's oil. Iran is also a big country, with a much larger population that will need to be reduced and put down, and that will require more assets. Syria is not large, and the US can deploy its Israeli assets there, but any way you look at it, they will definitely need more bodies as the crusade expands.

[justsam]

18. Kerry can't do anything until Jan,2005

and I don't think Bush would have the balls to say anything about a draft now, his war isn't going according to their plans.

[Algorem]

21. pullease.Edwards or Lieberman would do the same.

of those whoever gets elected or "elected" has the say so in November,they'll announce it after inauguration but it'll be all ready to go by then.

[Dirty Hippie]

12. Do a search on posts by Dems Will Win

(note the spaces in name) This person has been following the issue closely and has posted several times.

[MercutioATC]

16. I just got my draft board application a few days ago.

I'll be sending it in this week :)

[justsam]

19. you can

register on line and get your card back in 14 days..
www.sss.gov

[MercutioATC]

20. Card? The packet says that there's an interview...

I used the website to apply a month or two ago and I just jot the packet.

Supposedly, as long as I qualify (which I do) they'll schedule an interview.

[Dems Will Win]

23. You rang?? This is Dems Will Win. Here are some past links.

We must unite and toss Bush out or we will have a compulsory DRAFT! 20 year-olds first. First possible DRAFT LOTTERY is June 15, 2005. See below:

November, 2003 – Selective Service 2004 “Performance Plan” summarizes how $28 million will be allocated in 2004 to reduce draft activation time from current 8 months to just 75 days. Nation-wide Readiness Exercises, testing the Draft Lottery and examination system, as well as gearing up the Medical Draft (3.4 million doctors and nurses, men and women age 20-44 are eligible). Ominously, the Alternative Service delivery system for Conscientious Objectors is readied for the first time in decades, with the SSS being funded to compile lists of available Alternative Service jobs for those who win non-military CO status. All systems will be pushed to reach 95% readiness during 2004.
http://www.sss/gov/perfplan_fy2004.html

Nov. 23, 2003 – Boston Globe article: “Army Reserve battling an exodus
War is seen as drain on ranks. The US Army Reserve fell short of its reenlistment goals this fiscal year, underscoring Pentagon fears that the protracted conflict in Iraq could cause a crippling exodus from the armed services.”
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2003/11/23/army_reserve_battling_an_exodus/

Nov. 24, 2003 – NY Times: Army plans for 100,000 troops until 2006 in Iraq.
http://www.iht.com/articles/118775.html

Nov. 26, 2003 – Ron Paul (R-TX) says “Draft likely to be reinstated”. http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul144.html

December, 2003 - Draft Board Recruitment ad re-appears on the Selective Service Home Page with 2 new sentences stressing the ad has “NO connection” to Iraq. http://www.sss.gov

Dec. 4, 2003 – Ted Rall predicts Bush will “have to bring back the draft.” Notes 8,000 empty Draft Board seats to be filled by Spring 2005. Wonders about a “February (2005) Surprise” if Bush is re-elected. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=127&ncid=742&e=7&u=/uclicktext/20031204/cm_ucru/acolddraft

December 22, 2003 – In an article entitled “Beware of Attempts to Revive Military Draft,” Newsday reports that “the Center on Conscience and War… executive director, J. E. McNeil… has heard of rumblings, from the Republican side of the aisle in Congress, about a draft after the election”. The opinion piece worries whether a revived draft “would give this war-without-end presidency an endless source of warm bodies to pursue its cowboy foreign policy.” Author Keeler also wonders about a “February (2005) Surprise”.
http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-vpkee223594883dec22,0,6735184.story?coll=ny-viewpoints-headlines

December, 2003 – Dennis Kucinich releases and airs ad on draft: “Listen up, young America… you could be facing a Compulsory Draft!” http://resources.kucinich.us/video/video/listen_up/listen_up_real_broadband.ram

December, 2003 - The Selective Service Register magazine talks about the new Special Skill Draft, a top priority for Director Lewis Brodsky. Like the Medical Draft, the Special Skills Draft will induct men and women up to age 44 if they have needed DoD skills like computer expertise, engineering or they are a linguist. As with the health care draftees, no medical deferments are allowed except for total disability. Anyone with these skills will have to register with the SSS if Bush is re-elected and asks Congress for this. Moving quickly!
http://www.sss.gov/PDFs/NovDec2003-Register.pdf (go to P. 6) – from sss,gov home page

December 29, 2003 - WP article: “Army Stops Many Soldiers From Quitting, Orders Extend Enlistments to Curtail Troop Shortages” 40,000 soldiers and Guard put on Stop-Loss. A “Draft Per Se” already exists! With the new stop-loss orders the Armed Forces actually go 20,000 past 480,000 active troops, to 500,000 active troops, the maximum before Congress steps in.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36979-2003Dec28.html

BUSH '04 = DRAFT '05

[PaDUer]

28. THANKS Dems Will Win

For keeping people updated on this serious issue. There's a lot of unhappy R's out there who will not be voting for shrub, if there's an election..However, people must bring this to the front fast and now because he's hiding it from the people and slipping it into his bills.

[MercutioATC]

29. Exactly why I applied. I want to be "part of the process"....

Draft boards need do have responsible Democratic representation.

[OneTwentyoNine]

24. Oh,I'll bet guys are standing in line down at the recruitment centers...

The only people lonelier than the Maytag repair man has to be the guys running the recruiting centers. Who in their right mind,or what parent who let their son or daughter get in the middle of this mess??


David

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

25. Actually

The recruiting centers are not as empty as you might think. I was in a recruiting center for the Army about 6 months ago, and there were quite a few recruits that were waiting for their ship out dates. I talked to two of them, both young women, who were anxious. Both also applauded me for my ASVAB score and were eager to know what I was going in for.

All told over the course of about two weeks I saw at least two dozen young men and women at that station that were shipping out in the coming months.

The testing center was fairly packed as well. At least 30-40 waiting for ASVAB and physical tests the day I was there.

In case anyone is interested, I am in my 30's and got shitcanned out of OCS by a Lt. Colonel, then got a medical DQ from Enlisted. Time takes its toll.

[PaDUer]

26. Ah c'mon,,,

those freepers are going to be there in a heartbeat because they're master would ask....ya right!! Bunch of weenies would be the first to run off or shoot themselves in the leg!