Army Reserve Troops Ordered Back Overseas (Draft Coming?)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-12-01-reservists-usat_x.htm

Sorry is this was posted already, but I think this is huge! We have a Reserve Officer that is being fired for refusing to go back to Afghanistan less than a year after returning. I guess the Reserves have a rule that you are supposed to have at least 12 months stateside before re-deploying. Guess this is the way * supports the troops. Sure would help if a lot of freepers would join up don't ya think.

Here are some interesting quotes from the article.

"McAlpin told the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle newspaper last week that morale has plummeted and that 13 other soldiers had transferred to units less likely to be deployed overseas"

"The core issue here is how we sustain the war on terrorism," says Tom White, a former secretary of the Army who was fired by Rumsfeld in April. "This isn't what a lot of these Reservists signed up for."

"There may be some retention issues in the future," (you think??) said Ben Abel, a spokesman at Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command at Fort Bragg, N.C., which oversees all civil affairs units.

As an active duty member, I could easily just make some stupid comment about "whining reservist", etc., but you have to really wonder what this is doing to retention.

If Bush wins is 2004, we WILL have a draft. Mark my word. He needs a lot more people to take photos with.

I think it is really a big deal - who knows about the draft? It's like anything could happen.

that no-one is talking about the "D" word except on this site. This is going to blind-side some people, but it will be too late.

It is a shame what this man has done to the military, hell, to the world in such a short amount of time. Some of us are career folks, so we a pretty much stuck, but the retention and the recruitment is going to have to take a hit.

I think the only reason that you have not seen dramatic drops in enlistment and retention numbers is because of the shitty, jobless recovery.

The irony is that if the economy improves and jobs are created, shrub could win again, but an improving economy could lead to a mass exodus from the military.

Again, I think that there are ample reasons to vote * out regardless of the national treasure he has squandered on massive tax cuts and ill-conceived economic policy. Problem is that "the masses" (I won't call them sheeple) fail to see the big picture. As long as the talking heads tell them everything is "rosy" and they have no loved ones being shot at, they will re-select this guy in droves.

How do we fight that?

doctors and nurses under 40-both boys and girls- will
have to register for the draft. That means four people
in my own family, including my 21 year old nurse niece,
Mandy.

Over my dead body.

...and the Selective Service System has been given a $28 million budget to have everything up and running for the draft by mid-2005.

It's no longer a question of "if", but a rapidly dwindling question of "when".

By the way, young men and women will be subject to the draft, and no deferments will be allowed except for those physically incapable of serving. Gaining a C.O. status will be very difficult...much more than it was for Vietnam. Trying to go to Canada will also be problematic...Canada has agreed to send back to the States anyone caught trying to flle the draft.

be drafted?

be drafted?

I wonder if I'm still draftable even though I've had gender reassignment surgery. It'd probably be too confusing for their system and they'd let people like me out of it.

candid in his remarks.

on edit fix link
http://www.military.com/NewsContent?file=FL_reserve_112903

a few snippets:

McAlpin questioned the legality of a waiver that his battalion was asked to sign that would put his unit back in a combat zone after just 11 months at home. Under federal law, he pointed out, troops are allowed a 12-month "stabilization period."

A memorandum this week notified him that he was being removed from the 401st's battle roster, and he said he could also face other punishment, including a court martial and losing rank.

About a dozen other officers refused to sign the waiver, as well as four enlisted soldiers called to redeploy, McAlpin said.

"We signed up to fight our nation's enemies and we are fully prepared to do that. But if they're going to usurp the laws of this country at the expense of our most precious asset, our soldiers, then I will not stand for that, not for a minute."

"I'm looking at something I love more than just about anything - my service to the Army and my fellow soldiers - and they're trying to stab me in the back," McAlpin said.

A spokesman for the 401st, Capt. Brian Earley, said McAlpin's questioning of the waiver was only one reason he was being disciplined. Individual members of the 401st are allowed to refuse to sign the waiver, but Earley said McAlpin was "butting in" for other soldiers.

That would do serious, serious harm to the IDEOLOGICAL composition of the armed forces. If people who do not wish to join the military are compelled to do so, it will have a catalytic negative effect on "morale," as more and more focus on the military brass and warmonger politicians. As it stands, the fact that everyone in the military at least formally chose to join, is a powerful impetus for military cohesiveness. They will only instate a draft at a very, very high price, also in terms of providing powerful impetus for a domestic left movement.

but where are the troops that are needed going to come from? We are pretty much stretched thin as it is, and, if they get their way, we could be in Iran, Syria, North Korea, "you name it" if this guy is re-selected.

What if this talk of the draft is simply a way for them to grease the skids for the use of those new "conventional" nukes. God! Don't you just love the way the right wing neocons twist language to suit their purpose? I mean, what in the hell is a "conventional nuke"?

Stay with me on this. What if the situation gets so dire with their little imperialistic escapade that we have the following scenario from the oval office?

"Our forces are stretched to the limit in our war on terror. Re-instituting the draft would be a catastrophe. Therefore, I have no option but to use every tool in my hope to bring peace and democracy to Syria, Iran and South Korea. We have begun the use of conventional "nukular" weapons in Syria."

Pretty damn scary, huh?

on edit-darn spellcheck

the advent of the thermonuclear (Hbomb, fusion, whatever you want to call it) warhead is what prompted the term "conventional" nuclear weapon.

the only good thing(s) that would come out of re-instituting the draft.

It would certainly get people's attention, and spread some of the misery around. The Vietnam war would probably never have ended were it not for that nasty draft.

Eloriel

But they will probably come up with a suitably Orwellian name for it. Good marketing practice, you know...

is it for the entire military or only certain units.

They should be getting their orders after January 1st. They have only been home 2 months. It is a Marine Reserve. If they can do this, they can do anything. Rumors are that they are heading back to Iraq.

If you read into the language, they are scheduling for sometime in 2005
http://www.sss.gov/perfplan_fy2004.html
They are planning on attaching Selective Service Registration to Driver Licensing for males. There are other interesting tid bits in there.

I am only 17 1/2 but I had to register for the SS for college next semester. I posted on here at the time worried about it, but everyone was like, "Don't worry about it, there won't be a draft, and even if there is - you're in college!" Now it is getting scary... And to top it all off, I get a postcard in the mail from the Selective Service director saying "It is commendable that you decided to register for the Selective Service early!" WTF? I didn't WANT to register, I HAD to to go to school in Jan!