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Selective Service, Conscription, and holding the American public accountable for the wars we fight.
A very long article. Read it for a great context on the issue. Ultimately, Ambassador (fmr) Eikenberry does not recommend a return to the Draft.
"Conscription, he argued, would also discourage lawmakers from backing further wars for which adequate forces did not exist. "Every time someone says 'more troops,' or the military option is on the table in Iran, and the military option is on the table in North Korea," Rangel said, "they're saying that somebody's kids are going to be placed in harm's way, but not mine."
"The United States' unprecedented reliance on private contractors to prosecute the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was directly linked to the decision not to fully mobilize the Reserves or return to the draft. The modern American model of warfare requires a huge support apparatus for force protection, for the logistics of moving massive amounts of war matériel, and for mundane aspects of troop support such as base maintenance and food preparation. With far too few troops for those functions, the Pentagon quietly shifted the burden to private contractors..."
"In earlier times, such astronomical costs might have sparked a public backlash against the wars. In fact, the 1970 Gates Commission put its faith in just such an outcry to place brakes on the use of the all-volunteer force. 'If tax increases are needed or military spending claims priority over other public spending, a broad public debate is likely,' the Gates commissioners concluded. 'Recent history suggests that increased taxes generate far more public discussion than increased draft calls.'"
"If we had been in the 10th year of war with a draft force, and those soldiers and Marines were there because of their obligation as citizens rather than because they raised their hand to volunteer, then I believe visiting members of Congress would have sat down with troops from their districts and asked about their experiences and troubles..."
"Somehow," Eikenberry says, "we have to find ways to reconnect the American people and their armed forces, so that there is a more direct and visceral understanding of the political, social, and economic costs of war."
http://www.nationaljournal.com/magazine/the-great-draft-dodge-20141212
A very long article. Read it for a great context on the issue. Ultimately, Ambassador (fmr) Eikenberry does not recommend a return to the Draft.
"Conscription, he argued, would also discourage lawmakers from backing further wars for which adequate forces did not exist. "Every time someone says 'more troops,' or the military option is on the table in Iran, and the military option is on the table in North Korea," Rangel said, "they're saying that somebody's kids are going to be placed in harm's way, but not mine."
"The United States' unprecedented reliance on private contractors to prosecute the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was directly linked to the decision not to fully mobilize the Reserves or return to the draft. The modern American model of warfare requires a huge support apparatus for force protection, for the logistics of moving massive amounts of war matériel, and for mundane aspects of troop support such as base maintenance and food preparation. With far too few troops for those functions, the Pentagon quietly shifted the burden to private contractors..."
"In earlier times, such astronomical costs might have sparked a public backlash against the wars. In fact, the 1970 Gates Commission put its faith in just such an outcry to place brakes on the use of the all-volunteer force. 'If tax increases are needed or military spending claims priority over other public spending, a broad public debate is likely,' the Gates commissioners concluded. 'Recent history suggests that increased taxes generate far more public discussion than increased draft calls.'"
"If we had been in the 10th year of war with a draft force, and those soldiers and Marines were there because of their obligation as citizens rather than because they raised their hand to volunteer, then I believe visiting members of Congress would have sat down with troops from their districts and asked about their experiences and troubles..."
"Somehow," Eikenberry says, "we have to find ways to reconnect the American people and their armed forces, so that there is a more direct and visceral understanding of the political, social, and economic costs of war."
http://www.nationaljournal.com/magazine/the-great-draft-dodge-20141212
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Posted 10 y ago
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In general, the draft solves the problem of keeping the public more invested. I think a huge downside becomes managing a force that doesn't want to be there. If we want the best military in the world, we cannot have it with members who don't want to be part of the best military in the world.
If everyone who serves wants to serve, we don't have to motivate the troops. The problem becomes one of finding the best position for those who want to serve to serve in a capacity that progresses the core purpose of each service, be it land, sea, or air dominance.
If you have a service of self-motivating individuals, you can eliminate the redundant levels of bureaucracy and imagine all the 'cost-savings' in man power, silly non-mission related tasks, and staff work!
We cannot reinstate the draft without degrading the quality of our force because we would have to manage more of it. Priority one for any conversation must be to ensure we have the best military possible, pursuing perfection (where the threat of using our military solves any relevant problem). Second to that is keeping Congress and the people engaged. A sad comment in that article discusses how civilian politicians feel they cannot ask tough questions of the military because they have no experience themselves, resulting in those politicians implicit trust in the military and giving the military leadership a veritable 'free pass.' It must be explicit trust based on communication and knowledge.
If everyone who serves wants to serve, we don't have to motivate the troops. The problem becomes one of finding the best position for those who want to serve to serve in a capacity that progresses the core purpose of each service, be it land, sea, or air dominance.
If you have a service of self-motivating individuals, you can eliminate the redundant levels of bureaucracy and imagine all the 'cost-savings' in man power, silly non-mission related tasks, and staff work!
We cannot reinstate the draft without degrading the quality of our force because we would have to manage more of it. Priority one for any conversation must be to ensure we have the best military possible, pursuing perfection (where the threat of using our military solves any relevant problem). Second to that is keeping Congress and the people engaged. A sad comment in that article discusses how civilian politicians feel they cannot ask tough questions of the military because they have no experience themselves, resulting in those politicians implicit trust in the military and giving the military leadership a veritable 'free pass.' It must be explicit trust based on communication and knowledge.
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LTC Yinon Weiss
I partially agree with your points, but I think there is more to it:
1) Just because somebody is drafted doesn't mean that they don't want to serve or wouldn't make for a great service member. There are plenty of athletically and intellectually gifted people who if the nation called upon them, would be happy to serve, but as long as others are volunteering, they may think that they can have a bigger impact elsewhere. Don't forget many of our "Greatest Generation" in WWII were drafted. They answered the call for our nation just fine.
2) Just because somebody volunteers to serve doesn't automatically mean they are self-motivated, and that if everyone who joins volunteers then we "don't have to motivate the troops." People need to be motivated all the time, and whether somebody volunteered on a whim after high school graduation or was drafted, 3 years into their service, I am sure that their peers, their mission, and their command climate would have a lot more influence over their motivation than over the source of their entry.
That said, I'm not advocating for a draft either, but I don't think it would necessarily lead to quality falling off a cliff, and I do believe it would increase public interest in what the military is actually doing. There are other factors at play though which I think makes this a more complicated and not a simple solution though.
1) Just because somebody is drafted doesn't mean that they don't want to serve or wouldn't make for a great service member. There are plenty of athletically and intellectually gifted people who if the nation called upon them, would be happy to serve, but as long as others are volunteering, they may think that they can have a bigger impact elsewhere. Don't forget many of our "Greatest Generation" in WWII were drafted. They answered the call for our nation just fine.
2) Just because somebody volunteers to serve doesn't automatically mean they are self-motivated, and that if everyone who joins volunteers then we "don't have to motivate the troops." People need to be motivated all the time, and whether somebody volunteered on a whim after high school graduation or was drafted, 3 years into their service, I am sure that their peers, their mission, and their command climate would have a lot more influence over their motivation than over the source of their entry.
That said, I'm not advocating for a draft either, but I don't think it would necessarily lead to quality falling off a cliff, and I do believe it would increase public interest in what the military is actually doing. There are other factors at play though which I think makes this a more complicated and not a simple solution though.
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SGT (Join to see)
Maj (Join to see) and LTC Yinon Weiss Perhaps a compromise between all-volunteer and drafting would help alleviate some of the problems inherent in either system. A system such as what Israel has where every citizen of military age does service. However, I feel if such a system were adopted by the U.S., it should be more broad in terms of how that service is carried out. There are many different forms public service could take, and that's what the obligation should be to: public service, not strictly military service. What do you think?
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Definitely and interesting and thought provoking read. Topics like this are why I'm happy to be enlisted, and not ever have it be "my problem."
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LTC Stephen C.
Well, SSgt (Join to see), it was the same for me. When the U.S. conducted the first big draft lottery on 1DEC69 (for application in 1970), I had already enlisted and had been in basic for about a month. Ironically, my number was 332 (they only used up to #195), and had I not enlisted, I would have never have even had to serve!
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Maj (Join to see), after reading the article, I'm still a fan of a draft, maybe a modified draft. I don't have all the details worked out, but I think mandatory service to our country is a good idea. Maybe we could offer civil service as an alternative to the military and pay the military draftees more than the civil servant draftees. Just one idea.
Thanks for the link to the article. I don't often agree with Rep. Rangel, but I agree 100% with this comment: "Why is a kid who is going to Harvard or Yale or has alternatives not included in the sacrifice for our country? Why will you recruit people who have less options?" Exactly!
Thanks for the link to the article. I don't often agree with Rep. Rangel, but I agree 100% with this comment: "Why is a kid who is going to Harvard or Yale or has alternatives not included in the sacrifice for our country? Why will you recruit people who have less options?" Exactly!
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SSG(P) (Join to see)
@CW5 Scott Montgomery, if you read the link to the article I posted...The Tragedy of the US Military, the conscription would certainly take care if many topics in that article...albeit, conscription is not perfect, it does create a unified sense of nationalism...IMO. Which I haven't felt since 9/11. Your thoughts?
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