What would it take for the US to reinstate draft?

[Politically_Incorrect12]

What do you think it would take for the US to actually reinstate the draft? Personally, I think it would pretty much take a war with any country who has a nuke.

[billisonboard]

May 10, 2011 8:53:59 GMT -5 Politically_Incorrect12 said:

What do you think it would take for the US to actually reinstate the draft? Personally, I think it would pretty much take a war with any country who has a nuke.

Seems like the purpose of a draft is to put very large numbers of individuals in uniform when there is at least some undercurrent of lack of desire from the general population to be in uniform. So first, we would have a need for those large numbers. With technological advances, I am not sure what would create that need. Secondly, I am not sure what situation would create a situation in which individuals would not step up to fill all slots necessary. The situation in Afghanistan has lasted long enough to develop resistance but recruitment goals are still being met.

[busymom]

It appears to me our forces are stretched pretty thin, considering how many times our people have been re-deployed. Add in that we now ship the National Guard overseas too. I actually think if things don't simmer down, and we get involved in any more hostilities, they may get the draft going again (remember, everyone born 1960 up until today's 18-year-olds have been registering for the draft, at least the young men!)

[billisonboard]

May 10, 2011 9:35:25 GMT -5 busymom said:

It appears to me our forces are stretched pretty thin, considering how many times our people have been re-deployed. Add in that we now ship the National Guard overseas too. I actually think if things don't simmer down, and we get involved in any more hostilities, they may get the draft going again (remember, everyone born 1960 up until today's 18-year-olds have been registering for the draft, at least the young men!)

The military is not "stretched pretty thin" due to lack of individuals willing to join the service. Recruiting goals are being met. What has happened is a mismatch between the authorized size and configuration of our military and the expectations for that military. Before a draft would be necessary, the size of the military would have to be increased and recruiters not be able to meet new goals.

[txbo]

This will not happen unless absolutely necessary. The government learned after Vietnam a volunteer military is advantageous in order to keep the antiwar rhetoric to a minimum. A draft would be far less expensive than the current system and would only draft the necessary numbers as in the past. Currently a new recruit is paid $20,000 just to enlist; the housing is on par with civilian quarters. In the past, a draftee did not receive any monies for being drafted and housing was an open barracks. Military pay today is comparable to civilian pay in the past this was not the case. There was a shortfall of recruits for a short time and the military had to lower the standards for new recruits. However, with the current economy and the people most affected by this economy recruitment is up again. Officers need a college degree now as they did during the sixties. I believe we still have a warrant officer program for enlisted personnel one could qualify as helicopter pilots. Fighter pilots are all college graduates.

[floridayankee]

May 10, 2011 8:53:59 GMT -5 Politically_Incorrect12 said:

What do you think it would take for the US to actually reinstate the draft? Personally, I think it would pretty much take a war with any country who has a nuke.

Honestly, I don't see a draft ever being reinstated since we can pretty much wipe out any country without even having to leave the couch. IMHO, in today's world, with today's technology, there really isn't as big of a need for the boots on the ground.

[fairlycrazy23]

May 10, 2011 10:04:29 GMT -5 floridayankee said:

May 10, 2011 8:53:59 GMT -5 Politically_Incorrect12 said:

What do you think it would take for the US to actually reinstate the draft? Personally, I think it would pretty much take a war with any country who has a nuke.

Honestly, I don't see a draft ever being reinstated since we can pretty much wipe out any country without even having to leave the couch. IMHO, in today's world, with today's technology, there really isn't as big of a need for the boots on the ground.

Maybe..maybe a war with Mexico, otherwise I don't see why we would need massive amount of manpower.

Our professional military is vastly superior to anybody that might pose a threat to us, this includes China.

We could reduce the size and "power" of our military drastically and there still would not be any kind of direct threat against our nation.

The primary reason I believe we require a military that is so large and powerful is that we require resources that are not domestically available, however, all of these resources are actually available domestically but for various reasons we have not tapped them adequately .

[floridayankee]

May 10, 2011 10:22:41 GMT -5 fairlycrazy23 said:

Maybe..maybe a war with Mexico.....

Mexico? Are you kidding me??? It took a 2,400 man mexican army to take down 150 pissed off Texans! Mexico....lmao.

[fairlycrazy23]

May 10, 2011 10:34:09 GMT -5 floridayankee said:

May 10, 2011 10:22:41 GMT -5 fairlycrazy23 said:

Maybe..maybe a war with Mexico.....

Mexico? Are you kidding me??? It took a 2,400 man mexican army to take down 150 pissed off Texans! Mexico....lmao.

It would not be the war itself but occupation afterwards that would require massive amounts of manpower.

[txbo]

We will never have a war with Mexico, get real people. Soon Mexico will control CA, AZ, NM, and TX without firing a shot.

[deziloooooo]

May 10, 2011 8:53:59 GMT -5 Politically_Incorrect12 said:

What do you think it would take for the US to actually reinstate the draft? Personally, I think it would pretty much take a war with any country who has a nuke.

Since I doubt we will see the wars of great armies facing each other on the field of battle, recently Iraq, both wars, the first , like Kursk in a way, or Germany's Barbarossa , attack into Russia, ever again. While recent, still wars from the past.

Our thousand of Abrams M1A1, whatever, so many up dates, so many of them today are considered superfluous, not needed, not outdated in quality, but to many to ever be used again as designed, it is the same with our armed forces.

Our navy, the new ships that are coming on line, use so many fewer sailors to man them, and the needs of the service, a two year enlistment, taking a raw recruit and getting him ready for combat, with the new technology, the sophistication of the weapons, his basic equipment, being able to function on the modern battlefield, just not enough time, even four year enlistments on so many systems, MOS jobs, not enough time to be fully trained and truly proficient, I see no need of a draft.

If more troops needed, they would recruit for more professional enlistments, if needed , even raising pay to entice if not enough volunteered, just my opinion.

It seems our wars in the future, so much riding on special forces,and in the case as we just saw, the seal team in action, not saying our armed forces would approach that level of competence, but still, average age of a Seal, 26/33..6 years at least in service, training and once in as a member, still not fully integrated into a active team, you need professionals for most of the military today.

Even in the grunt units, so important in any armed forces, you need time and training, and for the majority, professionals.

The days of the Minute Man is over, even the days of the two year draftee, and the time of enlisted for the duration plus six months of WW2, long ago in the past. IMHO.

[billisonboard]

May 10, 2011 10:45:59 GMT -5 fairlycrazy23 said:

May 10, 2011 10:34:09 GMT -5 floridayankee said:

Mexico? Are you kidding me??? It took a 2,400 man mexican army to take down 150 pissed off Texans! Mexico....lmao.

It would not be the war itself but occupation afterwards that would require massive amounts of manpower.

Junior year US History class the teacher informed us that more soldiers died of disease than battle wounds during the Mexican-American War. Being 16 year old boys, my best friend and I both thought, "soldiers being soldiers, hanging out in Mexico, and thinking about potential diseases they might expose themselves to", we started laughing. Everyone, including the teacher looked at us like we were strange but then the teacher, being only a slightly older boy himself, realized where our minds had gone and he started laughing also.

[Deleted]

I don't think a draft is needed. Plenty willing to serve. There are still plenty of troops here. My son-in-law's reserve unit got orders to Afghanistan in '08, then Obama came in. They have never deployed yet.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

May 10, 2011 8:53:59 GMT -5 Politically_Incorrect12 said:

What do you think it would take for the US to actually reinstate the draft? Personally, I think it would pretty much take a war with any country who has a nuke.

A need for it. Currently, all branches of the U.S. military are meeting recruiting goals, with many applicants being turned away for not meeting increasingly-stringent eligibility standards.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

May 10, 2011 10:00:52 GMT -5 txbo said:

Currently a new recruit is paid $20,000 just to enlist; the housing is on par with civilian quarters.

Actually, enlistment bonuses for the U.S. Army are in varying amounts (starting at $3,000 and up to $40,000 ~ depending on career field, education, civilian training, language skills, etc. Not every recruit is eligible for a bonus.)

More on Army Bonuses:www.military.com/recruiting/bonus-center/news/scoop-on-army-enlistment-bonuses

Bonuses offered by the other branches will (of course) be different.

[deziloooooo]

May 10, 2011 13:39:42 GMT -5 ❤ mollymouser ❤ said:

May 10, 2011 10:00:52 GMT -5 txbo said:

Currently a new recruit is paid $20,000 just to enlist; the housing is on par with civilian quarters.

Actually, enlistment bonuses for the U.S. Army are in varying amounts (starting at $3,000 and up to $40,000 ~ depending on career field, education, civilian training, language skills, etc. Not every recruit is eligible for a bonus.)

More on Army Bonuses:www.military.com/recruiting/bonus-center/news/scoop-on-army-enlistment-bonuses

Bonuses offered by the other branches will (of course) be different.

Any one want to know my base pay when Uncle same asked me to stop by for a cup of cuppa, ...granted the musket was just being phased out...

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

Deziloooooooo, what was your base pay? (And please tell us the year and your rank?)

[deziloooooo]

bit over $125 ... Base pay

[SweetVirginia]

May 10, 2011 8:53:59 GMT -5 Politically_Incorrect12 said:

What do you think it would take for the US to actually reinstate the draft? Personally, I think it would pretty much take a war with any country who has a nuke.

If that were true, then Bush should have reinstated the draft when we invaded Iraq, since supposedly Iraq had nukes.

I would think a ground war, against a country such as China, would give the U.S a reason to reinstate the draft.

[Phoenix84]

I don't anticipate the draft being needed. The technology is so sophisticated that you need professionals to use it. I don't think there's really a need to draft a 18-20 year old, give them 6 weeks of training, then send them up as cannon fodder for the enemy.

[steff]

This message has been deleted.

[billisonboard]

May 10, 2011 18:25:32 GMT -5 SweetVirginia said:

May 10, 2011 8:53:59 GMT -5 Politically_Incorrect12 said:

What do you think it would take for the US to actually reinstate the draft? Personally, I think it would pretty much take a war with any country who has a nuke.

If that were true, then Bush should have reinstated the draft when we invaded Iraq, since supposedly Iraq had nukes.

I would think a ground war, against a country such as China, would give the U.S a reason to reinstate the draft.

On which patch of ground do you envision such a war happening? To be honest, I don't see us invading them and if they invade us, I don't see any Americans needing to be "drafted" to service. And I certainly hope that we aren't stupid enough to be pulled into a proxy war like we were in Vietnam.

[deziloooooo]

May 10, 2011 18:29:40 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

I don't anticipate the draft being needed. The technology is so sophisticated that you need professionals to use it. I don't think there's really a need to draft a 18-20 year old, give them 6 weeks of training, then send them up as cannon fodder for the enemy.

Back in the day, 8 weeks basic, 8 /12 weeks AIT .. if grunt work, or to school for MOS training...
I have no clue what today's military does today.

[deziloooooo]

May 10, 2011 18:36:40 GMT -5 steff said:

I remember hearing it said once that if the draft was reinstated, it wouldn't be the draftees out burning their cards, it would be their parents and grandparents doing it.....the ones who remember having it before....

IF there were ever a need for a draft..I see Young Americans signing on for it and when called, going down, getting on the bus and going to fulfill their duty.

[formerexpat]

Seems like the purpose of a draft is to put very large numbers of individuals in uniform when there is at least some undercurrent of lack of desire from the general population to be in uniform

Or to kill off a good number of the worlds men to slow down or partially reverse population trends. Wonder what the effect of WWII was on the worldwide population? Not only the 60 million people that died but the compound effect on population over the following 70 years.

60 million people at 1940 projected out at a 3% growth rate would be another half billion people in the world right now.

[steff]

This message has been deleted.

[chiver78]

May 10, 2011 20:17:57 GMT -5 deziloooooo said:

May 10, 2011 18:36:40 GMT -5 steff said:

I remember hearing it said once that if the draft was reinstated, it wouldn't be the draftees out burning their cards, it would be their parents and grandparents doing it.....the ones who remember having it before....

IF there were ever a need for a draft..I see Young Americans signing on for it and when called, going down, getting on the bus and going to fulfill their duty.

you must see a different subsection of "Young Americans" than I do. the ones I see, on average, couldn't be bothered to take out the trash to remove that chore from their parents' list. I can't imagine any of them putting their lives on the line for their country.

[chiver78]

May 10, 2011 13:32:39 GMT -5 ❤ mollymouser ❤ said:

May 10, 2011 8:53:59 GMT -5 Politically_Incorrect12 said:

What do you think it would take for the US to actually reinstate the draft? Personally, I think it would pretty much take a war with any country who has a nuke.

A need for it. Currently, all branches of the U.S. military are meeting recruiting goals, with many applicants being turned away for not meeting increasingly-stringent eligibility standards.

sorry, Miss Molly. your answer won't be acknowledged because it doesn't subscribe to any specific party rhetoric. I absolutely agree with you, BTW.

[Phoenix84]

"you must see a different subsection of "Young Americans" than I do. the ones I see, on average, couldn't be bothered to take out the trash to remove that chore from their parents' list. I can't imagine any of them putting their lives on the line for their country."

Who do you think have been the casualties in the most recent wars? It hasn't been 50 and 60 year olds.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

May 10, 2011 17:45:03 GMT -5 deziloooooo said:

bit over $125 ... Base pay

My wonderful DH enlisted as a 17-year-old high school senior ... I'll have to ask him if he remembers what he was paid (it's been two-and-a-half decades, so he may not remember!)