WHY A DRAFT IS THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO TO THE MILITARY

Chuck Hagel is proposing a draft. Oh, excuse me, he's proposing that we talk about the idea of a draft. This is utter nonsense.

We may well need to increase the end-strength of the Army. But it's an awfully big jump to go from the idea that the Army is strained to the idea that we need a draft. So why put it on the table? The idea is utterly disingenuous.

Hagel on the Today Show talks primarily about "burden sharing," about the idea that the war shouldn't be fought primarily be the middle and lower class (he has no figures on this, of course.) What it's really about is making the war an issue that spreads into every home so that every home has a reason to object to it, a reason to oppose it. Just putting the draft on the table, if people think it's a serious proposal, is a way of reducing support for the war.

Let me tell you something: the draft is purely a political idea. I've been briefed by plenty of generals on recruitment and retention problems. Now, granted, this was several years ago, before the GWOT, but there were plenty of problems in recruitment and retention at the time, and not once did the draft come up. Why? Because from their perspective it makes absolutely no sense. We field a highly technical force. It takes up to 18 months to train a soldier for the most basic of specialties. So by the time you get a draftee in, and train them to a reasonable level of competence, you might get to use them for 6 months before their term of service would end. It's in no way cost effective. In fact it's so utterly and completely expensive to pay for these people, to train, dress, house, feed them, that it just makes absolutely no sense.

So if a society makes the decision to go for a draft because we think national service is something we value for every teenager, or because we want rich kids on the firing line, or for some other value driven reason, that's fine. But if you think for a second it makes sense for the fighting force, as a way to extend the size and effectiveness of the force, you're crazy. I mean it's just a nuts idea.

But if you want an idea that sounds pro-military but that will actually spark a huge surge in anti-war feeling, well, the draft's your idea without a doubt.

And, by the way, Hagel has to know that by the time you hold hearings, pass the bill, get the training system ramped up to accept that many kids, find enough seargents to staff the system, (would there be a single seargent left in the Army who hadn't been tapped for this?), funnel in the first class of draftees, and train them to the point where they could be considered safe for combat units, the idea that they would relieve current short falls in Iraq is also a bit disingenuous. But the political impact on support for the war could well be immediate.

Comments

[J. MacKay]

Well said Prof. I'm in the military currently and I would NEVER, ever want conscripts that did not want to be there. It's bad enough trying to motivate some troops that "volunteered" let alone dealing with some who want no part of the military to begin with. Rangle brought this up when Afghanistan started and it was a race issue which the DOD debunked right off the bat. Rangle's argument was that minorities bear the brunt of combat by being in front line units but as the DOD report showed, that wasn't true and actually quite opposite. Larger percentages of minorities were in support units, not front line units. He dropped his push for the draft then and now he's at it again only this time it's a class war which is hogwash. Leave the military to those who want to serve. I don't care what their background is as long as they want to serve.

[J. MacKay]

One more thing, you don't think this is part of Sen. Kerry's plan for 10 million jobs do you???? I mean Pres. Bush was laughed at for saying 3 million jobs but not one question when Kerry says 10 million??? That would be a big Army.

[dauber]

Good Lord, can you imagine what the waiting lists for base housing would look like THEN?

[Theodopoulos Pherecydes]

I truly *believe* in the draft...think every able-bodied person should pay their debt for living in this great country.

Let the volunteers carry the weapons and the draftees make the ice cream, potable water, drive the trucks, work in the motor pool, maintain, clerk, etc., etc., etc.

[Hugh Nicholas]

The idea of a military draft is bad enough, but it also sounded to me like he was reviving the idea of universal service, that is massively raise taxes on everybody by taking two or more years of their lives to work on projects that appeal to politicians and the press. It is a really bad idea.

[craig mclaughlin]

Conscription is a bad idea. Period. The wonder of the volunteer force--and I know because I served for fourteen years in the volunteer Navy-- is that it is PROFESSIONAL. They get that way because they give a damn. Civic pride, or give-a-damnness, cannot be mandated. And it's stupid to try. Most of those proposing it, like Rangel, have other, more sinister, reasons. I don't know what's gotten into Hagel...

[craig mclaughlin]

Conscription is a bad idea. Period. The wonder of the volunteer force--and I know because I served for fourteen years in the volunteer Navy-- is that it is PROFESSIONAL. They get that way because they give a damn. Civic pride, or give-a-damnness, cannot be mandated. And it's stupid to try. Most of those proposing it, like Rangel, have other, more sinister, reasons. I don't know what's gotten into Hagel...

[IceCold]

Hagel's got a point. I mean, we've got the most effective, most powerful, most successful as well as humane and professional military that's existed in human history. Let's fix it!

[Moi ;)]

My friends with teenage sons are gathering info on Canadian colleges as I type this..... Craig is right. Those who volunteer will treat the service more professionally, and those who don't will run, resent it, rebel....

Besides, you don't have to be IN the service to serve your country. When you force people to serve, that is not "service."

[kage]

I think you are all just scared of death. The ppl who have died already died fighting for what they thought was right. Just becuase oil was involved doesnt mean that it was wrong to fight sadam. You need to accept the fact that a draft might be reinstated but its the democrats who are pushing for it. Dont believe me? Research it! I think you are all nothing but communists!

[abby]

I think it is a terrible idea!!!! THATS IT ITS DUMB...enough said.

[Bip]

The draft violates the very principle in which our country was founded on. Liberty? Ha I think not. Liberty (freedom) isn’t being forced to go to war. Some people may not even support the war. Why should they risk their life for something they don’t believe in? Pursuit of happiness? Last time I checked, people don’t enjoy dying or being taken from their families. I mean, correct me if I’m wrong here. And Life? Well once you’re dead you’re not really living are you? The recruit defies our individual liberty, even if it has a good motive. In our free society, no one should be constrained to be forced to kill people or risk being killed. If we re-establish this draft our economy will go down even further. Our nation’s economy has suffered enough from the horrific events of Hurricane Katrina; don’t you think that’s enough? This isn’t supporting or fighting for freedom, this is just a lottery for the unlucky.

[john smith]

your mother smells