The Draft

There is the possibility of mandatory drafting for boys and girls (age 18-26) starting June 15 2005, is something, I believe, everyone should know. This literally affects EVERYONE since we all have or know children that will have to go if this bill passes.

If there are children in your family, READ this. There is pending legislation in the House and Senate (twin bills: S 89 and HR 163) which will time the program's initiation so the draft can begin at early as Spring 2005 -- just after the 2004 presidential election. The administration is quietly trying to get these bills passed now, while the public's attention is on the elections, so our action on this is needed immediately.

Even those voters who currently support us. Actions abroad may still object to this move, knowing their own children or grandchildren will not have a say about whether to fight. Not that it should make a difference, but this plan, among other things, eliminates higher education as a shelter and includes women in the draft.

Also, crossing into Canada has already been made very difficult.

The draft

$28 million has been added to the 2004 selective service system (sss) budget to prepare for a military draft that could start as early as June 15, 2005. Selective Service must report to Bush on March 31, 2005 that the system, which has lain dormant for decades, is ready for activation.

The pentagon has quietly begun a public campaign to fill all 10,350 draft board positions and 11,070 appeals board slots nationwide. Though this is an unpopular election year topic, military experts and influential members of congress are suggesting that if Rumsfeld's prediction of a "long, hard slog" in Iraq and Afghanistan [and a permanent state of war on "terrorism"] proves accurate, the U.S. may have no choice but to draft.

Congress brought twin bills, S. 89 and HR 163 forward this year, entitled the Universal National Service Act of 2003, "to provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons [age 18--26] in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes." These active bills currently sit in the committee on armed services.

Dodging the draft will be more difficult than those from the Vietnam era. College and Canada will not be options. In December 2001, Canada and the U.S. signed a "smart border declaration," which could be used to keep would-be draft dodgers in. Signed by Canada's minister of foreign affairs, John Manley, and U.S. Homeland Security director, Tom Ridge, the declaration involves a 30-point plan which implements, among other things, a "pre-clearance agreement" of people entering and departing each country. Reforms aimed at making the draft more equitable along gender and class lines also eliminates higher education as a shelter. Underclassmen would only be able to postpone service until the end of their current semester. Seniors would have until the end of the academic year.

obviously which is stated above applies to U.S. citizens.

ive been researching this very topic lately, as one of my relatives is in the air force and said that the draft was an almost certainty. But all i could find was that as of right now we 1. dont need the extra people, and 2. would have to extend the budget to rediculous amounts to actually activate a draft. Where are the sources that are telling you otherwise?

Vir Fidelis
aerO

There was something going around in my community about a year ago that was looking for volunteers for a selective service commitee. Talk of a draft has been mentioned many times on ATS before. I think it is a matter of when not if, unless of course those pushing it dont get re-elected.

Listen to your freind in the airforce.
Right now people who are serving in the airforce and the marines are being pushed into service to drive trucks because they are "streched to their limits". I saw this on the news yesterday, and will try to find a link on the internet about it. All I can say is thank goodness Im a canadian.

im 17 and if they were a draft and i was old enough to be drafted i would fight proudly for my country......but if i were drafted to fight in the iraq war i would tell my government to $%@? off. i would not fight in a war that was not justified.... our government LIED to us to go to war.

If there was a draft in the US, I think it would shock people so much that there would be a civil war. Imagine if you will a housing project in East NY or a suburban high school in California...or even an office made up heavily of young twentysomethings--and suddenly the young adults are called up on a draft. People would completely freak out. And then imagine all these tempest-tossed young people coming back (if they come back) from their stint in Iraq. A draft would change everything forever.

The main causes for this theory are bills introduced to the Senate (S. 89) and Congress ( H. R. 163). Both of these bills are still in comittee and haven't been voted on in the main floor yet. I don't believe that they have enought support at the moment, but if we add another country to our invasion list it could change.

To provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes.

The suggestion is that everyone would serve 2 years in some kind of national serve-your-country type of service. I don't believe that they mean that you would have to be in the military. Working in the courthouse for a couple of years would work as well.

A draft in the near future would probably not involve drafting millions of people. To avoid huge costs in training and pay, they would only draft as many as was needed. I am not for the draft, but if drafted I would serve my country proudly. Those drafted would likely end up driving trucks and cooking for the already trained current soldiers.

Of course if they have someting bigger than Iraq in mind, I could be terribly wrong.

Originally posted by RogueX
A draft in the near future would probably not involve drafting millions of people. To avoid huge costs in training and pay, they would only draft as many as was needed. I am not for the draft, but if drafted I would serve my country proudly. Those drafted would likely end up driving trucks and cooking for the already trained current soldiers.

Of course if they have someting bigger than Iraq in mind, I could be terribly wrong.

I think your right, if this draft does happen it will be for office workers, truck drivers, and cooking positions, things that do not require a large amount of training, BUT if you look at the soldiers who are being beheaded in Iraq right now, what were they doing when they were captured? Most of them were driving a truck. And what about the suicide bomings? Most of them are conducted in a vehichle, it can be used against other vehichles on the road too, especially with people who are not used to watching for suspicious vehichles. What has happened has been devastating enough, I hope it dosnt but it can still get so much worse.

My First Post After Long Hours Each Night of Searching [Seeking Massive Amounts of Crucial Info] Upon This ATS Site All on a Military Computer (Risking it) or so it seems

Enough of that. I am in the U.S Air force. Wow... its not all that great nor is it all that rough and tough. But all I have to say, especially about the draft, is it will happen. I may be risking my job and life say those words, but it is true. G.W.B. our Commander in Chief isn't all that great too. Working where I work at, I can tell you now most personnel within the military are beyon stressed out. There isn't enough support and morale going around to keep us fully functional. I am not at a deployed location, but I am at an Air Base that requires tons of operational management to keep it going. Long days and restless nights. Training after training. If the draft was implemented it would help us troops out very much so.

::Behind the Scenes::

Pending war with Asian countries. Korea, China, Tawian. You name it, they are against us. WWIII is on the horizon. If you think this war on ism is bad, wait until you see whats in store in the next upcoming months to a few years. I am not promising anything, but I am saying I see and hear what goes on. I live it everyday, so WWIII is a highly likely event. Do not take any rumors lightly. If you deem it as a hoax, it may very well be a hoax, but never ever Deny Ignorance!

Until next time...

~Airman Adamo, Eric~

P.S. Please Do not expect me searching ATS too much. My time serving this country can't be wasted risking my life going against what I am apart. Even though I believe all sorts of government conspiricies and I am about the most anti government person around. My views from being inside the system further than some of you are will be a most powerful asset for when I post upon this message board within the near to far future. You will see why soon enough.



[edit on 26-7-2004 by 2Super7E123]

Yea...well what happens if you don't go i'm 15 now and in 2005 i'll only be 16 good thing i got two more years until 18

There is a significant difference between a "Draft" and "National Service." The incumbant party is not even the source of HR163. Regardless, National Service, can rescue our economy with a corresponding increase in taxes to pay for the programs tied to it. Investment in infrastructure has historically been a major tool for resurrection from resession. It is beyond my ken to understand why there is such a knee-jerk reaction against National Service. Aside from taxes, nothing is asked of cititzens of the U.S. Why not??? We get the government we deserve!

well if we get drafted... then just act crazy the whole time your there... until you get sent home either that or just break your arm or leg... it would work

[edit on 18-7-2004 by porschedrifter]

Originally posted by RogueX
A draft in the near future would probably not involve drafting millions of people. To avoid huge costs in training and pay, they would only draft as many as was needed. I am not for the draft, but if drafted I would serve my country proudly. Those drafted would likely end up driving trucks and cooking for the already trained current soldiers.

Of course if they have someting bigger than Iraq in mind, I could be terribly wrong.

why dratf people anyways? draftees get all the well trained people killed by doing stupid stuff anyways. if i were a soilder i would not serve with a draftee. i would wnat to serve with peopel that are there for the same reason i am there. i volunteered to be there. theres o point in drafting people. most of the deserters are draftees.

Originally posted by kastinyque
Listen to your freind in the airforce.
Right now people who are serving in the airforce and the marines are being pushed into service to drive trucks because they are "streched to their limits". I saw this on the news yesterday, and will try to find a link on the internet about it. All I can say is thank goodness Im a canadian.

heh. canada is just like euorpe. sure we want to fight, but we dont want to use our troops. just send the americans.

We didnt want the war to go forward in the first place, otherwise canada would have sent troops, we were against it from the beginning. Canada did fight in the WWII and we sent our troops before the americans did. Also canada goes in and cleans up after the americans are done tearing a country to shreds.

You guys need to shut up and put up. Your living in America what would you expect!!!!!!! If the draft does go into action hell let them suck americas youth up as if americas youth is capable of action since a majority of people in America are FAT...well thanks for hearing me out

...And what ever happen to "For God And Country" ?!?!??!?!?!?!?


OBEY UNCLE SAM!!!!!!!!!

if they re-enact the draft and i get drafted, ill just tell em about all the '___' and magic mushrooms ive done and tell them some crazy sounding #! they wont want me in the military! I was told before that if your considered legally insane if youve taken 7 hits of lsd or something like that? i dont think they let LEGALLY INSANE people in the military. someone told me that if you tell them when being recruited you took acid before they wont let you in, anyone know if this is true?

Well if they do have a draft it should include everyone, male, female, rich, poor, all races. Part of me is torn when it comes to people in college, because we need educated people, especially math, science, engineering. You might need to exclude women with children, although they could do jobs on the home front. But having everyone serve in some capacity makes us all more aware of what is happening. No more of most of the country being couch potatoes and spoon fed TV happy talk about the war, while a small portion of the country goes and fights, is injured, and sometimes dies for our freedoms. Having more people in the general populace that knew how and weren't so afraid to fight might help keep some of the corruption out of government.

If it is not important enough to engage the nation as a whole we probablly have no business being involved. Either the country is at risk or it is not.