|
1
Nerd-It
|
|
blog (coffee shop)
by Defense Secretary Robert Gates wants to increase the size of the active-duty Army by 65,000 to a total of 547,000 within five years. In part, that's to ease the wartime strain on the Army, which is the largest branch of the military.
In June, the Army failed to meet its recruitment target for the second month in a row, although it apparently met its goal to recruit 9,750 troops in July and is on target for 80,000 for the recruiting year (which ends September 30th).
As part of the expanded effort, the Army is investigating a pilot program which would target 500 people who might not otherwise consider joining. Participants who complete a 4-year enlistment would be eligible for up to $30,000 in incentives, including money for a home loan or business. Eventually, the Army wants to offer up to $45,000.
An Associated Press review of the increasingly aggressive recruiting offerings found the Army is not only dangling more sign-up rewards, it's loosening rules on age and weight limits, as well as education, drug and criminal records.
I agree we need a larger army, but how we do it concerns me. I would rather have fewer, well-trained troop who want to be there, than a group of criminal drug heads looking at nothing but cash incentives. Is this move a necessity or a mistake?
Add a Comment (10)
Email This
Message Author
is that when you offer more and more monetary incentives combined with relaxed standards you're gonna get more and more of those "criminal drug heads" everybody wants to avoid. It seems to me that the army needs to revamp its image and make it something that people really respect. Your average American gives a lot of lip service to servicemen, but when it comes to their friends enlisting you often hear something like "what, can't you get into college?" or "is the job market that bad right now?"
This article really concerns me. You guys in the know who served or severing now, what do you think? Please pipe up and shed a little light on this subject. Being a parent with a 22 year old soldier son, makes me wonder if our troops are just spread to damn thin and being deployed to many times.
RSS
Is it time to consider draft? by smcbride :: NR6 :: on 10 August 2007
Frequent tours for U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan have stressed the all-volunteer force and made it worth considering a return to a military draft, President Bush's new war adviser said Friday. "I think it makes sense to certainly consider it," Army Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute said in an interview with National Public Radio's "All Things Considered."
"And I can tell you, this has always been an option on the table. But ultimately, this is a policy matter between meeting the demands for the nation's security by one means or another," Lute added in his first interview since he was confirmed by the Senate in June.
President Nixon abolished the draft in 1973. Restoring it, Lute said, would be a "major policy shift" and Bush has made it clear that he doesn't think it's necessary.
If a all-volunteer force enticed with incentives doesn't produce the numbers to secure our country what other options are there?
RE: Is it time to consider draft? by VnutZ :: NR8 :: on 10 August 2007
As long as the selective service requires women to register ... otherwise, I believe the "glass ceiling" should be brought back.
RE: Is it time to consider draft? by Anonymous :: NR0 :: on 10 August 2007
Glass ceiling limits upward advancement, are saying limit women's advancement?
RE: Is it time to consider draft? by VnutZ :: NR8 :: on 11 August 2007
Glass ceiling limits upward advancement, are saying limit women's advancement?
An active selective service can be a significant detriment to a career. Sure, no employer is allowed to discriminate against an employee that is a reservist or such. And the law mandates that their job exists for them upon return. We've already seen with OIF that can be difficult for many returning home.
If women are not subject to, or willing to be subject to, the same life/career threatening federal requirements that men are, then women should not argue for equality in the workplace. To me, that means top positions since that can be a direct consequence of lost work years due to military draft service.
Men face the following consequences for not registering:
Women who don't register for the draft:
RE: Is it time to consider draft? by scottb :: NR7 :: on 12 August 2007
I agree that if the draft is reinstated, women should be included. I don't much buy the argument that restoring the draft is what's necessary to "secure our country".
Let's face it, when our military was deployed to do the job it was meant to do, it did it and did it brilliantly, both in Desert Storm and in the 2003 invasion. But it's not intended to be a police force. This "wartime strain" is entirely because it's not a war - it's a shitty peace.
Now that all the candidates are talking about withdrawals (in various forms), the "strain" should be let up so the draft shouldn't be needed.
RE: Is it time to consider draft? by smcbride :: NR6 :: on 12 August 2007
Some say that a draft would end the war! Just might put the silver spoon kids in harms way!
RE: Is it time to consider draft? by scottb :: NR7 :: on 12 August 2007
Some say that a draft would end the war! Just might put the silver spoon kids in harms way!
And if you believe that, I've got a bridge I wanna sell you. The wealthy have always been able to influence their kids' placement within the military.
Also, don't read me as opposing the draft in general. I don't think it's necessary to resolve the Iraq situation, but I'm not opposed to the argument that general conscription is good social policy.
I confess, I read a lot of Robert Heinlein during the years when a lot of my social ideas were formed, and I think there's something to his assertion that people who haven't done some sort of national service (military, or otherwise) don't really deserve the right to vote. I don't know that it's quite as simplistic as that, but I don't have any really sound arguments against it, either.
RE: Is it time to consider draft? by ldsudduth :: NR7 :: on 13 August 2007
You're scaring me scott--this is another place where we agree. I think the same way (and like you probably attributable to reading a lot of Heinlein). Also, like you, this is probably too 'simplisitic' of a solution and I can't find any good arguments against it.