The Draft Boards are COMING, The Draft Boards are COMING!!!

[Walt Starr]

Like Paul Revere, I am sounding the alarm. The draft is GUARANTEED, regardless of who wins. When they scrape the bottom of the barrel by going after the IRR, we are in full blown draft activation mode!

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=542&ncid=693&e=8&u=/ap/20040512/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/army_reserves

[Taverner]

1. Ummm...this isn't about the draft

But about reactivating reservists.

[Walt Starr]

4. Reactivating INACTIVE READY RESERVISTS

As anybody who spent time in the military knows, activating the IRR is the last step prior to a draft activation.

[sangh0]

5. "even evidence is unecessary to formulate an opinion"

It "seems to me" that Walt don't need no steenkin evidence

[Walt Starr]

7. Do you even have a fucking clue what activating the IRR means?

Seriously, do you?

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[sangh0]

17. "Not that having facts ever stopped cyberstalkers in the past"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=216372&mesg_id=216991&page=

I'll say

[Taverner]

40. No, I'll agree this is bad

And could lead to the draft, but in itself I don't think it *guarantees* anything.

[oldhat]

2. Calm down

Man, will you chill out?

[Walt Starr]

6. Have you been a member of the IRR?

Everybody who spends time in the military goes through a period of time in the IRR.

Activation of the IRR is the absolutely last step taken prior to the reactivation of the draft.

Read it and weep, a draft is guaranteed.

[Q3JR4]

3. One question about the draft boards

If one has to be at least 18 to be taken for the draft board, what happens when a 21 year old gets in and then the draft is initiated? How do they work with him if he happens to be called up? He isn't somehow exempt is he? This is something no one in my reading has addressed, and I'm curious as to the answer.

[Frederic Bastiat]

8. Man you're imploding

Take a step back.

[Walt Starr]

9. Do you know what the IRR is?

Seriously, I think you need to take a step back.

[Frederic Bastiat]

11. Umm i'm a vet too

Yes I do know what IRR is but as someone pointed out before what exactly does this have to do with the draft?

[Walt Starr]

15. IRR is the last step

Calling up the IRR means they have nowhere else to go. It's a last ditch step before conscription. That has always been the purpose of the IRR, as a stopgap measure between the need for additional forces and fullout implementation of the draft.

[Frederic Bastiat]

18. Not necessarily

It could be there are facing shortage in certain MOS skills due to attrition and overextension. I'm talking about MOS's that require certain specific skills like SatCom, SigInt etc and would take time to recruit and be combat ready.

Bottom line is we don't know the specifics so its pretty early to be drawing conclusions.

[Walt Starr]

21. Look at the evidence

The SSS has been ramping up all year. They're going after 17000 IRR members. We're overextended in two different ground wars (Afghanistan and Iraq) and we're running out of Reserve and National Guard units to activate at such a rate that the NG is unable to cover natural disasters adequately.

Going after the IRR at the 17000 level is definitely a major sign that a draft will have to be reinstated. Again, hopefully we'll make it to January 20, 2005 prior to it happening, but there's no guarantee with stepped up violence in both Iraq and Afghanistan and woefully undermanned forces.

[Frederic Bastiat]

28. The fact that they are going after 17,000 only

Only reinforces what I said earlier, that these are former service members who possess a scare skill set and are needed to fulfill an IMMEDIATE need.

There are 100,000's of combat vets who would fall in the IRR reserve, why go after 17,000 only?

[Walt Starr]

31. Step one

Final step in this process has always been intended to be a draft.

[Frederic Bastiat]

34. I'll panic

When they call up former combat arms veterans; cavalry, infantry, artillery and armor.

[Walt Starr]

36. Some of that 17000 may be combat arms

My suspicion would be special ops would be a highly sought area right about now.

[DustMolecule]

10. OMG, I see what you mean....

"They agree to keep themselves ready to be called up in an emergency but are not required to do the periodic training other reservists must perform."

By calling THESE reservists up means 'we have an emergency'. These people are not even currently in active training! Oh shit.

[Walt Starr]

13. Were you in the military?

If you were, you know why I'm so alarmed.

[DustMolecule]

25. No, not been in the military......just common sense

1) These people have already served their committment - they don't want to go back in once they're out (except in an emergency MAYBE).

2) The states' National Guard units have all been deployed

3) I doubt people are signing up in DROVES right now to enlist

4) The current troops in Iraq/Afghanistan have had REPEATED extended stays and are, presumably, worn-out and restless

5) Stop-loss orders have been put in place for the folks who were supposed to get out

I mean, come on, all you nay-sayers out there....WHERE do you think the manpower is gonna come from if we don't pull out of the M.E. SOON? As Walt said, this is the 'bottom-of-the-barrel' (no disrespect meant). Asking 'retiring soldiers' to go serve AGAIN is the LAST thing you do unless you're desperate!

Geez, even if they took the whole 17,000 that's still 'not very much' to replace over 100,000 - just around 10%. THEN what????

Oh, btw, with the National Guard overseas and now these retired 'emergency' troops going over....who's left here guarding the old US of A????

:scared:

[Walt Starr]

29. Thank you, I misread your original post

I thought you were being sarcastic. Mea culpa. And yes, I'm scared because I have a nephew who is graduating from high school this month.

[jukes]

27. i don't think everone's getting it yet

but you're absolutely right, Walt. wen i was cut loose in '70, it wd'v been unthinkable for any of us to be re-activated.

maybe this will clarify to those lucky enough not to know: it's sort of like parole for prisoners. when you are discharged from the military, they still own you for awhile, as an "inactive reserve." means your obligation is done, unless there's a national emergency. that's ALL military personnel. hence, they can count on a body of qualified, but rusty, troops. they w'dn't do it unless the situ was desperate enough to warrant conscription as the next step.

Excav: D Co, 1/5th cav, 1st Cavalry 68-69 Quan Tri & Tay Ninh. i'd give you a "thumbs-up" trooper, 'xcept for the fotos of those monsters.

[Walt Starr]

30. I figured it wouldn't take long for some former military to read this

Thanks for the support of my take on activating 17,000 Inactive Ready Reservists.

This is the clearest sign that a draft is inevitable yet.

[TrogL]

14. ...and the chances of them actually getting trained?

Zilch. Zero.

They'll go over there totally unprepared as cannon fodder.

[Frederic Bastiat]

20. These are former soldiers

Every time you sign up for the armed forces there is a clause saying that they can call you up even after your tour of duty IF it is within 8 years of when you initially signed up.

[Walt Starr]

That's how it works for enlisted

They started going after officers last year.

Officers are basically committed for life, depending upon the conditions of discharge, and can be called at any time. I know several former Marine Corps officers who are pretty nervous these days.

[Racenut20]

19. Military Is/was/used to be

A 6 year committment. Inactive Reserve would be when one has fulfilled all his required active duty, and his active reserve period. Usually the two year period prior to discharge. The only time that I know of any of them being called up was for Korea.

For VN, being short of noncoms, they went back and offered some of the career ones who had been out two or less years, that time as active duty towards retirement for a two year committment. So If you had gotten out on 20 two years prior, you could go back in for two and retire again as 24 years active and increase the pension. I knew several of them in Marines and Seabees who did this, and were stationed in non combat positions to fill the billets. The Seabees, though, (the ones I knew) joined active combat batallions and went to VN for a tour.

[Frederic Bastiat]

22. Ditto

But I think the commitment is 8 years.

[Walt Starr]

23. Back in the 80's, activation of the IRR was to occur

when WWIII happened.

In Korea, the IRR was activated as the stopgap prior to ramping up the inductions via conscription.

This is NOT a good sign for young people. Unfortunately, they aren't paying close enough attention to what's really happening.

[underpants]

24. 8 years------- my IRR status was over in '97

The time starts the first day you take the first pledge (usually a delay between that and actually entering-second pledge). I initially signed up in Nov. of 89 so in Nov.97 my time was up..........I hope.

If they call ME back then it has REALLY turned into a big s**t sandwich.

[Walt Starr]

26. Here's a good one for you

I know a man who had almost completed his IRR commitment last year. Due to Stop Loss, his IRR committment was extended two years. He was notified in February of last year.

[underpants]

33. Yikes

I think the poor guys who lived in our day room in Germany during Gulf1 were IRR but I am not sure. They literally got plucked out of their lives and spent 4 months or so doing nothing for no reason.

[brokensymmetry]

32. I think you're right.

I hasten to add that I've never been in the military - but what you says just makes common sense.

Everyone knows that we're stretched as thin as a rubber band around the Sunday New York Times. The reserves that were called up aren't doing all that well (i.e., the guards at a certain prison). Peace shows no signs of breaking out. The recent beheading seems unlikely to encourage enlistments.

Add to that...The U.S. just applied economic sanctions to Syria. And rumors are flying that the U.S. and Israel are looking askance at Iran due to the nuclear program. And (as if that weren't more than enough ands) China is discussing a new law that compels Taiwan to rejoin the mainland. North Korea of course, doesn't exist.

I suspect the question isn't whether 21 year olds should worry. I suspect it is more like should 45 years olds start getting their affairs in order - especially if they have those critical skills you alluded to.

[Walt Starr]

35. I'm only 40 and would be subject to the intial special skills draft

I've been an IT professional for a long time. I also have three screws in my ankle, so probably would not pass the physical.

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[damnraddem]

38. The draft is NOT guaranteed. It wasn't even when there was a draft.

It all depends on how resolutely and persistently young Americans resist it. This is true, no matter who wins.

[Walt Starr]

39. Most will comply

There will be resistance in some areas and there will be people put in prison over it, but historically, the American people comply with conscription to a large enough degree that the draft doesn't get stopped.

[robertpaulsen]

41. Not only is the draft coming soon, it will include women & men up to 34

This is for everyone who thinks that we who fear the draft need to stop wigging out. I say wake the hell up! Bush is gearing up for it!

U.S. eyes proposal to draft women

snip

WASHINGTON—The chief of the U.S. Selective Service System has proposed registering women for the military draft and requiring that young Americans regularly inform the government about whether they have training in niche specialties needed in the armed services.

The proposal, which the agency's acting director Lewis Brodsky presented to senior Pentagon officials just before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, also seeks to extend the age of draft registration to 34, up from 25.

The issue of a renewed draft has gained attention because of concern that U.S. military forces are stretched thin because of worldwide commitments.

more...

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1083535813785&call_pageid=968332188854&col=968350060724

[Mountainman]

42. I agree with you. When you get to the IRR you never ever expect to be

called back. This is scraping the bottom of the barrel. I think the plan is to overwhelm Iraq with troops. I heard people say that we cannot get out of Iraq until other countries replace us and they will not do that until the country is stabilized and that takes around 300,000 or 400,000 troops.

Folks we are back in Vietnam I'm afraid. Like Johnson calling for 30,000 this month and 35,000 next month. Westmorland kept telling him that if we just had more troops we could win the war. Well we didn't.