The Draft ...

[Banned_Forever]

After slogging through 7 years of fruitless warfare, does the
American Public have the where with-all to stomach the almost
assured necessity of a reinstatement of the Draft?

Oil companies are on a timeline. With the looming election of
November, are they going to be willing to wait through 1 or 2
more election cycles to engage Iran in an attempt to rein in
dwindling product potentials of the future?

What time constraints are they up against?

The Loss of the White House?

The looming threat of Russia having much better relations with
Iran. Could that lead to an additional lockout of Western Influence
and crush any hopes of controlling Gulf commodities and distribution?

With the current state of our Military's withering support from within
its ranks? Will the Draft be a foregone conclusion as we approach
November?

Looking at where we are is not always the story of where we are going.

While the media concentrates on the days happenings of a two day old
newspaper, and tabloid flair type speculation of the latest "scandal", how
much do they miss the ball when it comes to examining the news of tomorrow?

[Jax]

The looming threat of Soviets having much better relations with
Iran. Could that lead to an additional lockout of Western Influence
and crush any hopes of controlling Gulf commodities and distribution?

Wait, the Soviets are back?

[Banned_Forever]

Wait, the Russians are back?

There, I fixed it for you.


The Important part of this equation is: "If you are between the ages of 18 and 42?,


Are You Ready to Go?"


And it is certainly a question that should be posed before any candidate running for Presidential Office.

[The Fedora]

good lord...

(gonna delete this one too tracy?)
(btw: you use your own name on your trademarks)
(btw#2: I served for 8 years... did you?)

[Banned_Forever]

good lord...

(gonna delete this one too tracy?)I have no delete capabilty
(btw: you use your own name on your trademarks)Only Cartoons and Original Writings.
(btw#2: I served for 8 years... did you?)No. Only 6 years of NSA and Security Council Overview

Good Lord! What is your point Man!

It's crunch time, and we're approaching another deadline line for history
to repeat itself. Answer the question. Contribute. Or get the hell out of the
way.

Bush White House will be forced to make some decisive moves in the next 3
months if they have any hopes at all of furthering their ill conceived policies
into and beyond the next administration. And asking the Public if there would
be support for the next logical continuation of such policy would not be frivolous.

So you served. If you would like to hold that up as a badge of whether I
should pose the question, you know little about what service means, or the
levels of corruption that have invaded our nation.

If you're going to strap on a gun, at least have some sense of what the hell
our own Country should represent, and until it's held to those standards, consider
your tour of duty is not over.

I am an American Everyday. Whether in Cheer or Dissent.

[The Fedora]

hey, what happened to your bill o avatar? I thought that was hilarious.

[Lazlo Toth]

Super Sally's posting under a different name now?

[Marty McFly]

Bring back the draft?

Just abolish the 13th amendment first.

[Banned_Forever]

Your Service to America is not Over.

It's in Every Breath you take.

In Everyone you Love.

In Every Spirit,

that Lies in its Wake.

From the Morning when the Sun Shines,

In the Everyday Moves You Make.

Honor, Love, and Respect.

Those in ...The Lives They Take.

From the Shoes at your Bedside.

to the Worn Carpet from your Soul,

Those from the Midnight Prayers,

There ...upon the Floor You Make.

You Can't Walk Away ...

While the America You Love

Lies Still, and Freedom is at Stake.

You Can't Leave America

While Your Leaders Leave War, Pillage

and Plunder, as Our Signature ...

Throughout this World ... Signed

There ...in the Decisions they Make.


America Deserves More. And So Do You.

Anything Less? ...and the 6 years you hold so dear? ... Don't mean a thing. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKorl7Ouht)

[The Fedora]

A draft isn't going to happen.

(thump, thump, thump... here come the black helecopters!)

[tater]

A draft isn't going to happen.

(thump, thump, thump... here come the black helecopters!)

Oh yes a draft will happen...in fact it will be highly scrutinized, debated, and last for days on end. With many fans and naysayers. Many will look upon the draft and how it affected history.

http://subwaychatter.com/blog/images/nfldraft1.jpg

[FD2BLK]

A draft isn't going to happen.

(thump, thump, thump... here come the black helecopters!)

Exactly. Reinstating the military draft would have to be the last possible scenario. Imagine the political fallout to a president who brings it back. Imagine the attack ads by his opponent.

[Banned_Forever]

A draft isn't going to happen.

(thump, thump, thump... here come the black helecopters!)


In 2001 You thought All was well in the World until September 11th.


In May of 2003, You thought major combat operations had ended in Iraq.


In 2007 You thought Obama was a Dark Horse.


In 2009? Where will the Soldiers come from?

[Kace]

Drafts need the right analysis.

http://thenastyboys.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/stephen.jpg

"Yeah, I gotta question why they wouldn't draft the big man first. I mean, we tryin' to win a war over here and you're waitin' 'til late in the round to take care of the front line, man! That ain't gonna do nothin' but set up more anarchy and more whinin' from the offices in DC! They got this all messed up!"

[Tripe Face]

Speaking of the Draft... when is Medialine's Fantasy Football League draft... and do we still need one more team?

[Banned_Forever]

A draft isn't going to happen.

(thump, thump, thump... here come the black helecopters!)


This is America - Blacks can't afford Helicopters.


(No ... Just the truth.)

[Tripe Face]

This is America - Blacks can't afford Helicopters.
Look... racism from Banned_Forever

[neodeity]

Actually, I've thought for several years that we should bring back the draft.
If America wants to go to war; then America should be willing to pony up their best and brightest, randomly, to serve. The Vietnam War might have continued for many more years were it not for the outrage of, finally, most of America at their sons being served up as cannon fodder for, seemingly, only corporate America's benefit. If we were drafting combatants, instead of filling our ranks with mercenaries; our Armed Forces would not be as stretched thin as we've been told, the citizenry would be demanding that this war be more professionally prosecuted and our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen would be home by now. The draft would keep politicians from using our Armed Forces capriciously; the voters will demand it.

[HushHush]

Actually, I've thought for several years that we should bring back the draft.
If America wants to go to war; then America should be willing to pony up their best and brightest, randomly, to serve. The Vietnam War might have continued for many more years were it not for the outrage of, finally, most of America at their sons being served up as cannon fodder for, seemingly, only corporate America's benefit. If we were drafting combatants, instead of filling our ranks with mercenaries; our Armed Forces would not be as stretched thin as we've been told, the citizenry would be demanding that this war be more professionally prosecuted and our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen would be home by now. The draft would keep politicians from using our Armed Forces capriciously; the voters will demand it.

I'd rather pay the troops who want to be in the military more money for the job they do .. than send in a bunch of inexperienced kids who don't want to be there in the first place.

Any smart parent would advise their children to sign up with the Navy or Coast Guard if there was even a whisper of "Draft" on the lips of the White House.

They'll have to kill me first before I send my son ... or my nephew and niece. Especially to fight a "war" that we don't believe in.

[Tripe Face]

I'd rather pay the troops who want to be in the military more money for the job they do .. than send in a bunch of inexperienced kids who don't want to be there in the first place.

Any smart parent would advise their children to sign up with the Navy or Coast Guard if there was even a whisper of "Draft" on the lips of the White House.

They'll have to kill me first before I send my son ... or my nephew and niece. Especially to fight a "war" that we don't believe in.

Forget the Navy... just tell your draft board "I'm Gay!" that makes you ineligible to serve.

BTW... You know I worship you...

but with THIS

http://openline.medialine.com/image.php?u=7490&dateline=1217937175

I think I've moved into the "unhealthy obsession" stage!

Va-Va-Va-Voom!

[Pro]

The Vietnam War might have continued for many more years were it not for the outrage of, finally, most of America at their sons being served up as cannon fodder for, seemingly, only corporate America's benefit.

I think it was in 1972 that President Nixon ordered that draftees not be sent to Vietnam, unless they requested it. The draft itself, ended the next year. Registration for the draft ended two years after that. I was one of the last 18 year old males required to register and a carry a draft card.

[neodeity]

I'd rather pay the troops who want to be in the military more money for the job they do .. than send in a bunch of inexperienced kids who don't want to be there in the first place.
I'd rather train the kids the same way we trained the mercenaries the skills they now sell back to us at inflated rates. If the mercenaries are true believers; they'll re-enlist. We shouldn't be paying civilians to fulfill our military needs; they're not pledged to support and defend the constitution. It would be roughly equivalent to hiring the Hell's Angels to do police work; most of us remember how well that worked. Who will police the police?

Any smart parent would advise their children to sign up with the Navy or Coast Guard if there was even a whisper of "Draft" on the lips of the White House.

They'll have to kill me first before I send my son ... or my nephew and niece. Especially to fight a "war" that we don't believe in.

Exactly; that's why it would work and why we haven't heard anyone mention it.
The draft would demand accountability.

[HushHush]

Exactly; that's why it would work and why we haven't heard anyone mention it.
The draft would demand accountability.

The draft may demand accountability - but at what cost? Not the life of my child. .. and not the life of thousands more. The draft would mean sending inexperienced children to get slaughtered.

I too wonder some days where the protests are over this current war. I'm reminded by others that the soldiers over seas now are doing their job ... they knew what might happen when they signed up. That's why no one is protesting. Those who need to protest this war the loudest are the mothers and families of the soldiers who have been overseas for YEARS rather than months ... they need to let the government know it's enough. And once the families start to protest ... others will follow ... I'll certainly jump right in

[Dap]

I believe the United States is the only western country that doesn't have a conscription, is it not? Germany, the UK, France, Sweden, even the Swiss require youngsters to receive training and serve for 2 years minimum.

[Banned_Forever]

I think it was in 1972 that President Nixon ordered that draftees not be sent to Vietnam, unless they requested it. The draft itself, ended the next year. Registration for the draft ended two years after that. I was one of the last 18 year old males required to register and a carry a draft card.

I remember being required to fill out the Registration form in 1980 at the local post office.

Compulsory draft registration, which President Gerald Ford suspended in 1975, was resumed in 1980 by President Jimmy Carter in reaction to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. President Ronald Reagan extended it in 1982 and prosecuted a few of those who refused to register (estimated at 500,000 between 1980 and 1984).

[Pro]

I believe the United States is the only western country that doesn't have a conscription, is it not? Germany, the UK, France, Sweden, even the Swiss require youngsters to receive training and serve for 2 years minimum.

I remember reading where the UK abolished their draft in 1961. I read this in a book about the Beatles, where it was mentioned that both John Lennon and Ringo Starr (both born in 1940) narrowly missed being drafted.

Have they re-established it since then?

[Dap]

I remember reading where the UK abolished their draft in 1961. I read this in a book about the Beatles, where it was mentioned that both John Lennon and Ringo Starr (both born in 1940) narrowly missed being drafted.

Have they re-established it since then?

Well, I don't know! I'll have to ask my mate whether the National Service is still active.

Edit - he says no. France, too, has abolished theirs. Interesting. As middle eastern countries grow armies, we put ours aside.

[Tripe Face]

I believe the United States is the only western country that doesn't have a conscription, is it not? Germany, the UK, France, Sweden, even the Swiss require youngsters to receive training and serve for 2 years minimum.

Not true.

Some Major Western Countries WITH Conscription:
Austria
Finland
Germany
Greece
Israel
Switzerland
Russia


Some Major Western Countries WITHOUT Conscription:
Australia
Belgium
Croatia
France
Hungry
Japan
Netherlands
Spain
UK
USA


(The above list is obviously incomplete, couldn't find Canada or Portugal for example)

[amabala]

This is what Henry Kissenger thinks.

Here is the FULL KISSINGER QUOTE verbatim from the bottom two lines of page 194 to line 14 of page 195:


====================
[paragraph]
In Haig's presence, Kissinger referred pointedly to military men as "dumb, stupid animals to be used" as pawns for foreign policy.

SOURCE:

Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein
The Final Days
second Touchstone paperback edition (1994)
Chapter 14, pp. 194-195

[Spike]

The draft itself, ended the next year. Registration for the draft ended two years after that. I was one of the last 18 year old males required to register and a carry a draft card.

The Selective Service system was reinstated in 1980 and is still in effect. All males are required to register with Selective Service within 30 days of their 18th birthday.

A draft will not happen unless there's a disaster of unimaginable proportions. The main reason is that the military branches neither want nor need a draft. It takes an average of two years to train people into the technical positions where there's a need, and often several more years to train them into specializations. With that kind of commitment of resources, they want people who intend to stick around after that expensive training and NOT take their skills back into civilian society when their terms are up. Volunteers are much more likely to accept a career in the military than draftees.

Further, a draft would involve staffing unnecessary positions. Currently the military branches are able to fill almost all their needs with volunteers. A draft just for the sake of making everybody share in the misery would involve staffing superfluous positions in addition to the volunteers. Since the volunteers are already handling the military's needs, the draftees would just be extra people drawing a government paycheck for no reason. Not only would you have a force of people who don't want to be there, but the efficiency of the armed forces would go down the latrine.

I think it's funny that the whiny b*tches who complain about spending billions of dollars of tax money in Iraq want to see our annual military budgets quadrupled by a draft. That's retard strength.

[Pro]

The Selective Service system was reinstated in 1980 and is still in effect. All males are required to register with Selective Service within 30 days of their 18th birthday.

True, but all it means is that 18 year old males have to fill out a card and drop it off at the post office.

What I was referring to was that I was among the last U.S. males actually required to go - in person - to the local Selective Service office, bring my birth certificale and ID (drivers license), have an "interview" with the Selective Service clerk, swear under the pains and penalties of perjury that what what I said was the truth (even had to raise my right hand!) and be issued a draft card that I was required to carry on my person at all times, and show it to the proper law enforcement officials when asked (I never was). I was given the same classification as most college students (didn't have to take a physical, though). Not terribly long after I went through this production, the Defense Depatment announced that they were no longer requiring registration and all card-holders could destroy their cards. I kept mine for awhile, just for the hell of it, until I lost it after cleaning out my wallet.

[neodeity]

Further, a draft would involve staffing unnecessary positions. Currently the military branches are able to fill almost all their needs with volunteers. A draft just for the sake of making everybody share in the misery would involve staffing superfluous positions in addition to the volunteers. Since the volunteers are already handling the military's needs, the draftees would just be extra people drawing a government paycheck for no reason. Not only would you have a force of people who don't want to be there, but the efficiency of the armed forces would go down the latrine.

I think it's funny that the whiny b*tches who complain about spending billions of dollars of tax money in Iraq want to see our annual military budgets quadrupled by a draft. That's retard strength.

The Marines didn't draft during the Vietnam era; not officially. Many young Marines were given a choice of either "volunteering" or going to county jails around the country. That said, I once asked my Father about this, as a career Marine his answer was, "if they don't want to be Marines, we don't want them." I agree with that; however do you disagree that had there been a draft there would have been significantly more opposition to the war in Iraq? I don't think anyone would have made a peep about Afghanistan; but Iraq wouldn't have happened or, at the very least, we'd be out by now. You're so quick to give us your armchair economist evaluation, so tell me, did you take into account the billions we've given to private contractors to do things we already have an infrastructure in place to do ourselves and could do, possibly less efficiently, less expensively? Do you have any numbers to backup the claim of quadrupled military budgets due exclusively to the draft (because I'm not buying that number)?

[Tripe Face]

I believe the United States is the only western country that doesn't have a conscription, is it not? Germany, the UK, France, Sweden, even the Swiss require youngsters to receive training and serve for 2 years minimum.


I'm not sure I agree with those who say the draft would precipitate huge anti-war protests. I think Americans in general learned in Vietnam that portesting the war does very little to help end the war and does a lot to hurt the troops (especially when protestors go overboard and attack the troops rather than the civilian leaders who sent them).

Sure there are still anti-war protests, but they are NOTHING like the 1960s and the targets are different.
Would a draft make them bigger? Probably... but not especially huge.

[Pro]

The Marines didn't draft during the Vietnam era.

Yes they did, for around a year. Marine recruiting got so low that for awhile they were included in the draft. But the Marines weren't satisfied with quality of draftees, so they ended it.

[Banned_Forever]

Ron Paul knows that it has been discussed on the hill.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul353.html


With a 193 Day lag time in the first inductees to arrive as

required by law, should a draft be re-instated in the same

preemptive manner that wars are waged?

How far behind the need curve would troop levels be by the

time they asked?

[Lazlo Toth]

My year was the last draft lottery of the Viet Nam era. But our year was not drafted.

I agree that if you want to expand the anti war protests, just institute the draft. In fact, I think the volunteer force is one of the reasons you haven't seen more people at the protests.

[Banned_Forever]

My year was the last draft lottery of the Viet Nam era. But our year was not drafted.

I agree that if you want to expand the anti war protests, just institute the draft. In fact, I think the volunteer force is one of the reasons you haven't seen more people at the protests.


That and the Flag Waving Fervor of 9/11 brought everyone's Sensibilities
to a screeching halt when it came to demanding answers from their own
government. Anyone challenging the direction toward war was chastised as
unpatriotic, a subversive, or enemy sympathizer hell bent on acts of sedition
in the aid and comfort of the enemy.

When in reality, they saw this kind of bullsh!t before.

[Spike]

... however do you disagree that had there been a draft there would have been significantly more opposition to the war in Iraq?

That is such an impossible hypothetical situation that it's difficult to answer. If there had been a draft, that would imply a profoundly different political situation in this country to have allowed it in the first place. If the citizens of this country were so gung-ho about war that they would allow a draft in the first place, then NO, I don't think they would protest when they got a war for their draftees. If the draft were somehow forced on the citizens, so that most people disagreed with it, I can't see an Iraq war ever having happened in that political climate because there would be tremendous pressure not only to stay out of conflict, but to not have the draft in the first place.

If you forget those two problems and just think about logistics, you'd have a whole other host of conditionals. A draftee force is so much different from a professional volunteer force that the planning for any war would be significantly different. In other words, it just wouldn't be the same war. How can we know if people would oppose it if we have absolutely no idea what it would be like?

You're so quick to give us your armchair economist evaluation, so tell me, did you take into account the billions we've given to private contractors to do things we already have an infrastructure in place to do ourselves and could do, possibly less efficiently, less expensively?

You're joking, right? You SERIOUSLY believe the United States government will do things less efficiently and less expensively than private contractors? You're a laugh riot.

Do you have any numbers to backup the claim of quadrupled military budgets due exclusively to the draft (because I'm not buying that number)?

I pulled that number out of my ass, but I don't think it's unreasonable. If we had a two year conscription like other civilized countries with a conscript military, the average length of service in the Army would drop from the current six years. Training costs would go up because of the churn, with the Army having to constantly train replacements for the draftees fleeing the service at the end of their terms. Training costs would also increase simply because the number of people in the military would increase. We ALREADY have a volunteer military that meets our needs; a draft would pull in additional people who don't want to be there. All those people would have to be trained, equipped and fed, plus they would all be drawing a paycheck, plus they would draw pension and medical benefits.

Think of a newsroom. Which is more efficient, a newsroom with extremely high turnover, or a newsroom with dedicated craftsmen who stick around a while? That goes for any business. It's one of the things you learn in management classes. Churn is bad. Yet you laughably think that churning people through the military will make the services more efficient.

If you really want an effective military that can do its job and protect this country's interests, you don't make staffing decisions based on political whining. Which is all a draft would be.

[neodeity]

You don't just spring a draft on the country if we go to war; you have it in place all along. Hold a lottery each year to determine order then announce how deep you'll go into it as the need arises. Hopefully you won't need to use it. We should have troop quotas which will change as more or less troops are in conflict; but we should maintain minimum levels at home to make sure we're never vulnerable when we're otherwise occupied overseas. I'm not talking about making every young man and woman serve the country for two years; I'm talking about the possibility that a percentage of them might have to serve. Why just two years? If you're conscripted and you want to be more than "just an order-taking grunt," and have the skills to excel; there's no reason to believe rules couldn't be changed to demand that "learning" certain skills would require a lengthier commitment to your service. The idea, again, is not to make everybody's child serve and/or be in harm's way; the idea is to insure that those sons and daughters in the service are treated as if they actually were the sons and daughters of the lawmakers controlling their fates.

You're joking, right? You SERIOUSLY believe the United States government will do things less efficiently and less expensively than private contractors? You're a laugh riot.
Yes, I am serious; and you, clearly, can't disagree or discuss without being insulting. The armed forces, by and large, run fairly smoothly. They have a large, fully functioning, infrastructure already in place; expanding and contracting, may be difficult, but it's been done before. I realize that stories of military inefficiency are legion, but so are government contractors overcharging for services or charging for services not rendered. I'd rather we err on the side of having America's wars fought by Americans who answer to one Commander in Chief and not to a series of managers then, ultimately, to a board of directors. I think it’s a real big deal. It's one of the reasons I began to suspect this war was being marketed as much as it was being managed; but perhaps I'm alone with that thought.

Think of a newsroom. Which is more efficient, a newsroom with extremely high turnover, or a newsroom with dedicated craftsmen who stick around a while? That goes for any business. It's one of the things you learn in management classes. Churn is bad. Yet you laughably think that churning people through the military will make the services more efficient.

If you really want an effective military that can do its job and protect this country's interests, you don't make staffing decisions based on political whining. Which is all a draft would be.

It's not a newsroom; nobody dies, except accidentally, in the newsroom (and that happens far too often in the peace-time armed services too). There aren't any good analogies; but what if your newsroom were constantly filled with qualified workers constantly pushing out or pushing to be better the veterans above them in the pecking order? Wouldn't qualified competition within your workplace make it better in the long run? Instead of a newsroom, think of it as an NFL team; after all, both groups have limited shelf lives. Military officers and men, lifers, shoot for 20 years; occasionally someone is in for 30. Isn't the idea to constantly bring in fresh legs and new ideas; don’t people work harder when someone's pressing for their jobs? I would think that would appeal to you, competition fostering efficiency and proficiency. It's not "political whining;" it's attempting to insure that those whose job it is to check and balance the authority of the Executive has a constituency which is motivated to insist that they do their job.

[Banned_Forever]

The idea, again, is not to make everybody's child serve and/or be in harm's way; the idea is to insure that those sons and daughters in the service are treated as if they actually were the sons and daughters of the lawmakers controlling their fates.
...those whose job it is to check and balance the authority of the Executive has a constituency which is motivated to insist that they do their job.


You apparently missed something between 1967 and 2007?

[Produce man]

I got drafted once. It pissed me off so I slammed on the brakes.

[Sultanosurf]

...Currently the military branches are able to fill almost all their needs with volunteers...

Spike, you're way off on this one. People I served with, who have been on Pentagon staff, have been rotated back into Iraq and Afghanistan for their third tour, extended to 15 months. Our services are short-handed due to attribution from the very professionals who chose military as a career and are either leaving, or, to a smaller degree but even more disturbingly, being maimed or even killed. Which has had a huge impact on the available pool.

Check the stats, the recruitment of the types that a volunteer service depends on has dropped significantly.

[Bureau Chief]

Short handed? What a bunch of whoee. I got two kids in the war. 1 in Afghanistan and one in the air over Iraq. The AF one has been given his release date....even though the AF spent over a million dollars on his education...they are not all that interested in keeping him in the service. A chest full of medals, including 4 air medals and 7..thats right SEVEN tours... and they are gonna send him packing. The son that is in the army in Afghanistan, his unit just got sent home after 15 months..and even though he wants to go back, they have assigned him to a training gig in Georgia.

They are so knee deep in people over there that they have to take turns killing the bad guys.

[Banned_Forever]

You think We could send them to Washington? I hear it's knee deep there too.

[Sultanosurf]

Short handed?

Hey, who knows what the factors are in your kids' situation, but black enlistment has been down more than half in the past 8 years, and some Brigade Combat Teams have been deployed up to four times since 9/11 with only months home in between. Not to mention the Guard deployments both overseas and on border patrol that have overextended that resource.

[AF Wifey]

Short handed? What a bunch of whoee. I got two kids in the war. 1 in Afghanistan and one in the air over Iraq. The AF one has been given his release date....even though the AF spent over a million dollars on his education...they are not all that interested in keeping him in the service. A chest full of medals, including 4 air medals and 7..thats right SEVEN tours... and they are gonna send him packing. The son that is in the army in Afghanistan, his unit just got sent home after 15 months..and even though he wants to go back, they have assigned him to a training gig in Georgia.

They are so knee deep in people over there that they have to take turns killing the bad guys.

Just curious about your AF son. Was he denied reinlistment? Is he in an over-manned career field?

[Tripe Face]

Short handed? What a bunch of whoee. I got two kids in the war. 1 in Afghanistan and one in the air over Iraq. The AF one has been given his release date....even though the AF spent over a million dollars on his education...they are not all that interested in keeping him in the service. A chest full of medals, including 4 air medals and 7..thats right SEVEN tours... and they are gonna send him packing. The son that is in the army in Afghanistan, his unit just got sent home after 15 months..and even though he wants to go back, they have assigned him to a training gig in Georgia.

They are so knee deep in people over there that they have to take turns killing the bad guys.

The Air Force and Navy are REDUCING their total number of troops (hence their losing good people like Bureau Chief Jr.) so the Army and Marines can afford to increase their troop strength.

[The Fedora]

Folks, let's just say that Tripe is gonna have the inside scoop on this.

[Tripe Face]

Folks, let's just say that Tripe is gonna have the inside scoop on this.

What scoop? I read it in the newspaper.

[The Fedora]

dude... trying to help ya here.

[Tripe Face]

dude... trying to help ya here.


Hatman, sorry. But frankly, what I need in terms of help is a few more all-pro linemen for the Redskins and a couple of top notch D-linemen for the Eers this fall.

[Sultanosurf]

Actually, it seems the military has been chasing its tail.

While the Air Force and Navy have been downsizing, mostly to fulfill goals to afford more planes, hardware, etc., the Army and Marines have also been 'borrowing' forces from both for their overextended groundpounder roles. That's because enlistment is way down, despite lowering standards, like taking those with minor criminal records, lower aptitude test scores, or even high school dropouts.

And the number of West Pointers leaving after their commitments is the highest since the 70s.

So yes, it seems the Tripettes are among 40,000 Air Force and 16,000 Navy forces being discharged, but the fact remains that the ground level forces are overextended and forced into tours way beyond their norm, while enlistments are way down.

Does that mean the return of the draft? Let's hope not, since that affects far too many kids - including mine - that will see no exemptions this time around (OK, maybe for a Cheney).

What's far more likely is the already growing cost of filling the volunteer ranks will grow with more incentives and benefits.