Draft? What draft?

[varwoche]

The notion of a draft keeps coming up, recently from senator Chuck Hagel.
Hagel ... said the United States is going to have to consider restarting the draft to maintain its many military commitments abroad. article (http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/06/30/MNGTS7E5RK1.DTL)
Given that people are already being drafted involuntarily, I suggest that, in the name of accuracy, it's about time that the words surrounding the debate shift from "should there be?" to "who else is elligible?"
Amid Congressional concerns that the military is stretched too thin, the Army is preparing to take advantage of a rarely used wartime program that allows it to recall soldiers who have left the service and did not join the reserves. Pentagon officials said Tuesday that 5,600 former soldiers were going to be called up for yearlong tours, mostly assignments in Iraq and Afghanistan. article (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/30/politics/30RESE.html)

[evildave]

Well, so they're calling up the 'radioactive reserve'. They did so in the previous Iraq war.

When you're allowed to leave the military, they do keep their strings attached to you for a number of years. It's in the contract.

[varwoche]

Lexington psychiatrist Charles Ham thought he retired from the Army seven years ago. But, he recently got a call telling him to report to Fort Jackson for a physical examination.

Ham knew more than 5000 veterans who recently left the service were being called up, but he had been in the Army for 41 years and is now 67.

article (http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=2055019&nav=0RaPOudE)

[LostAngeles]

Funnily enough, I was just looking that bill up. (S 89, if you're interested.)

It's last action was the day it was introduced, over a year and a half ago. It's currently sitting in comittee, where I sincerely hope it will stay and subsequently die.

[aerocontrols]

Originally posted by varwoche
Given that people are already being drafted involuntarily, I suggest that, in the name of accuracy, it's about time that the words surrounding the debate shift from "should there be?" to "who else is elligible?"

I think it's dishonest to refer to the IRR as a draft. If you want to refer to it as such, you shouldn't then act as if it's something new. It's been called up to support various missions since it was established.

[crimresearch]

And IIRC, it is a misnomer to refer to many of those drawing a military pension as 'retirees'...they are on **retainer** for a number of years, again it is in the contract, and agreed to by all parties.

[Agammamon]

Which is why the 67 year old guy is being called up. "retirement" in the military is an obligation to potentially unlimited service in return for a guaranteed paycheck. It is usually a good risk to take.


Also, why are these guys always going on about a draft to fulfill our commitments and yet hardly anyone seems to ever consider trimming those commitments to meet the resources we have?