“RESTORE THE DRAFT”
October 31, 2019
Dear Friends and Colleagues:
As a long-retired career military officer, one notes the swings in public opinion about America’s role on the world stage. A lot of those swings depend on which party occupies the White House. But, politics aside, all Americans should be concerned about what our “leadership” has committed us to in the past and whether those obligations on us are still valid and what price we citizens are willing to pay in blood and wealth in order to meet those obligations. Official treaties, after all, have the weight of law here in the U.S.
Let us reflect on how the burden of carrying out our defense obligations is being borne. Like many others of my age and experience, the draft board was calling upon our graduating high school. The decisions were 1) get drafted and serve in the Army for two years, and carry a reserve commitment for a few more years, or 2) go to college, if you or your parents could afford it, and get a deferment. 3) A third choice – the one I made — was to enlist in any of the services for four years and be done with one’s service obligation. As it turned out at that time, if one was draft-eligible, an employer would hesitate to hire you to a permanent position until you had satisfied your obligation to Uncle Sam.
During WWII and the long Cold War, the draft remained in place, but it fell under growing criticism during the Vietnam War. To retard the expansion of world communism, the US had entered into treaties to help protect free-world states in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Less formal arrangements were also in place to defend areas in the Middle East and especially the threatened state of Israel. But the war in ‘Nam actually caused riots, and draft-dodging, although a criminal offense, was not uncommon. Some of the “wealth-privileged” sought deferment and after deferment remained in college year after year – many earning PhDs in the bargain.
While defending other people in Southeast Asia was a noble cause, it was NOT in support of an existential threat to our nation and its citizens. That fact provided additional fodder to the burgeoning anti-war effort here at home, an effort that was aided and abetted by the Soviet Union, Mao’s China, and their fellow-travelers throughout the West.
Some draftees were troubled youths with bad habits and bad attitudes. But, at least a two-year stint in the Army taught them how to wake up on time, make a bed, shave, shine their shoes, stand straight, and walk with purpose – and in cadence. They also learned from which end of the rifle the bullet exits, and how to aim at (if not hit) a bullseye target. But they also learned a more valuable skill – teamwork, and the need to not only rely on others, but to be reliable in turn! And they got into good physical shape, many for the only time (the first and last times) in their lives!
On the other hand, some of those non-volunteer, citizen soldiers were maimed and scarred for life or never came back home at all. Those outcomes shifted the burden of service to friends and family – to newly-widowed young wives, grieving mothers, and saddened friends.
Now today, we find many on the left and the right insisting that our military forces keep the peace everywhere in the world without limit, at the lowest possible cost, and while relying exclusively on citizen volunteers! What is the mission? What is the end game? Who are the enemy? Why are they the enemy? And most of all, what is the immediate or even longer-term threat to the United States? Finally, who else is going to join us in the fight, and better still, who is not, and why not?
During the Cold War and ‘Nam, we had specified tours of duty and an expectation that we would be rotated out of the fight and allowed to return the peace and tranquility and love of our families for at least a couple of years or so. We had the draft, so we enough manpower to do this. But even so, there was a strain on the families of all servicemen, particularly those who were married, had young wives in the prime of their lovely lives, and surrounded themselves by that thing in the Lord’s Prayer – “…and deliver us from temptation…” They also never knew if their husbands were coming home changed or not coming home at all. All of us lived by “snail mail” which, while slow, was of vital importance – both ways.
Today, the pool of able-bodied young men to defend and protect in all of the places that our “leadership” has determined we must is too small, and the continuing deployments are too frequent and the burdens too unequally shared by both those few men and their families. But there are no “riots” or “Hell, no, I won’t go”… Because not everybody’s ox is being gored.
So here is where I come down! Restore the DRAFT! Let every family get some “skin” in this game. Only then will the nation’s interests – and “fairness” be served. Sure, there will be discomfort. But sharing the pain will sharpen the arguments and make better policy – and save lives and keep families together. Heck, it might even result in our wealthy “friends” abroad taking care of business in their own backyards.
Just thinkin’
Old Frank
The draft is nothing more than slavery. Saying we should renew the draft because we need more people to engage in endless wars that we have no business being it. It is akin to saying we need to raise taxes because we need more money to keep up the wasteful and unconstitutional spending. I strongly disagree with Old Frank.