Support Grows for Beefing up US Forces

By Edward Epstein of The San Francisco Chronicle
Monday 04 April 2005

Some see situations where volunteers may not be enough. The war-strained all-volunteer U.S. military has a growing manpower problem and a cross-section of Washington policymakers has proposed a solution -- increase the size of the regular military by 30,000, 40,000 or even 100,000 or more.

While just about all the proponents maintain they want to achieve the increase by offering recruits bigger financial incentives or through appeals to patriotism, lurking in the background is a possibility that for now remains anathema to all but a few. The military draft, which coughed up its last conscript in 1973, could make a comeback if recruiting doesn't pick up and if America's commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan turn into long-term occupations or if the Bush administration's tough-minded foreign policy means military action in places like Iran or North Korea.

It's important to note that the Bush administration adamantly scorns the idea of a resumed draft. It won't even agree to a permanent increase in the Army's size, which Congress temporarily boosted by 30,000 last year, saying instead that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's plan to transform the military into a high-tech, mobile force will meet the nation's needs.

But the administration does admit it has a problem, particularly in filling the ranks in the 500,000-person regular Army and the 675,000-person Army National Guard and Army Reserve, which have been called upon to carry a large part of the burden of deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan. In a March 23 press conference, Army Secretary Francis Harvey said that in the first two months of 2005, the active Army was meeting 94 percent of its recruiting goal, the Reserve 90 percent and the Guard 75 percent.

"Obviously, I'm concerned about the National Guard. I am cautiously optimistic about the Reserve and the active component," he said. "We're doing everything that we know how to do in order to meet our goals."

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/040405E.shtml

That is the Republican platform for 2006.

Oh...and keeping people with liquified cerebral cortexes alive as long as possible...unless they can't pay...then pull the feeding tube.

Chimp says he's "concerned about the National Guard". If the draft comes back, let's see how long that lasts. The Guard will probably become a haven for the well connected again. (Like it was during the Viet Nam years).

recruiting centers, eager to go to iraq and defend american freedoms?
heck, i bet they could man 4 or 5 fresh divisions with the freeptards.

I'm sure that they all have "Other priorities", just like their boy Chenney had during the Viet Nam era.

And that support comes mostly from folks who aren't in any danger of going overseas to combat positions themselves.

"We need more troops!"

"Here's your enlistment form. Go get 'em, tiger."

"Uh, well, not me, you see. Really, I'd rather it was some . . ."

The GOP CANNOT start a draft for the following reasons: 1. The GOP voters WILL NOT EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER send their kids to war. 2. The GOP voters WIL NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER vote for the RepubliCANTS EVER AGAIN. 3. The GOP will start the IMPEACHMENT TRIALS themselves. A DRAFT IS POLITICAL SUICIDE THE GOP KNOWS IT.

This is utter fiction. A draft would start MASS CHAOS in the streets. That would KICK BUSH OUT FOREVER AND GET HIM IMPEACHED.

Waiting for the IMPEACHMENT WHILE THE SCANDALS KEEP UNFOLDING
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