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| Strained
Military Resources in Iraq Lead to Fears of a National Draft |
Posted:
10.13.04 | |
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Growing concern over troop levels in Iraq and around the world has led some
parents and teens to worry that a draft may not be too far off. Printer-friendly
versions: HTML / PDF | |
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Military service in the United States is strictly voluntary-- men and women serving
in the armed forces do so by choice. But, during times of war, that can change.
Mandatory service, called conscription but known popularly as the "draft,"
allows governments to require men, and sometimes women, of a certain age to serve
in a military crisis.  In
the United States, the draft has been used as a tool since the Civil War. In 1940
President Franklin D. Roosevelt instituted the first peacetime draft, which allowed
the government to draft citizens at any time.
"We must and will marshal
our great potential strength to fend off war from our shores," Roosevelt
said as he enacted the Selective Training and Service Act. Though controversial,
the peacetime draft remained in place until America pulled out of Vietnam in 1973.
Today, Congress can give the military the right to draft troops during wartime. | |
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| Current
draft concerns | |
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Recently, many Americans have begun to worry that the shortage of troops caused
by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may lead President Bush or his successor to
reinstate the draft. The fears have been compounded
by the numbers. Of the country's 1.4 million active duty troops, according to
a New York Times report, 655,000 are Army and Marine personnel, the pool from
which troops in Iraq are drawn. Because the 191,000 troops currently stationed
in Iraq and elsewhere in the world must be rotated often, military resources could
deteriorate fast. In addition, both President Bush and his opponent Senator
John Kerry have called for more troops to help secure peace leading up to Iraq's
first Democratic election in January. The problem is no one seems to know where
those troops would come from.  The
president has proposed pulling troops out of places like Europe and South Korea.
However the current nuclear crisis with North Korea could require troops to remain
in the region. Sen. Kerry has said if he's elected he would expand the Army by
40,000 members but, according to Army National Guard reports, recruiting levels
are already low.
"We have put ourselves in a position where we don't
have the capability to handle another major contingency," Sen. Jack Reed
of Rhode Island told the New York Times. Both President Bush and Senator
Kerry have denied any plans to reinstate a draft, though many Americans still
worry that it could happen. A recent survey, conducted by the National Annenberg
Election Survey, found that out of 1,500 adults between the age of 18 and 29 surveyed,
51 percent believe that President Bush would bring back the draft. | |
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| A
draft scenario | |
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So what would happen if the government decided to draft its citizens? Who would
be affected? First, the military would have to determine that the war in
Iraq or another such conflict needed more troops. The president and Congress would
then pass legislation reinstating the draft. Earlier in October, the House of
Representatives struck down a bill asking for reinstatement of the draft. The
president issued a statement backing the House for its action and promised to
veto the bill if it were sent to him.  Once
it gets the green light from Congress, the Selective Service would begin a lottery
system, choosing young men whose 20th birthday falls in the year of the draft.
The military would then draft men starting with 21-year-olds and ending with 25-year
olds. So far, women are exempt from being drafted.
The process would take
193 days from the time your name comes up to when you are required to report for
duty. Incarcerated men, hospitalized men and men who claim "conscientious
objection," an objection to military duty based on religious or moral beliefs,
could claim exemption. Dual citizens and non-U.S. citizens are not exempt from
the draft. | |
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| Peace
or patriotism? | |
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While some young people think it's the duty of a country's citizens to defend
it, others say military service should be a choice.  Seventeen-year-old
Jason Tseng, who discussed the topic in a NewzCrew online forum, considers himself
a patriot and said though he would go to war if drafted, he disagrees with the
idea of a draft for the war in Iraq.
"Philosophically I don't think
the government should ever institute a draft unless there are dire situations.
The situation in Iraq is bad, but this is nowhere near World War II. World War
II warranted a draft." Tseng, whose mother is a civil engineer for
the military, said many teens do not agree with this war. "More and
more the American people are beginning to see the fallacies of this war. If the
president were to force a large number of America's youngest and finest to go
overseas and risk their lives for a war that is completely unnecessary, there
would be public outcry." "If there was a very real threat - if
another country decided to invade-- a draft would be more widely accepted and
the public would be more receptive to the idea," he added.  Cathy,
the parent of a 17-year-old son in McLean, VA, who did not want to give her last
name, worries that because the military has had to keep so many troops in Iraq
longer than anticipated, a draft may not be too far off.
"I just don't
see how they're going to continue to support the effort with a voluntary Army,"
she said. Cathy, whose brother was a conscientious objector during the Vietnam
War, said if a draft were to take place now, she would consider sending her son
to school abroad. "How about college in Canada?" she said. --
Kristina Nwazota, Online NewsHour | |
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American schools and financial aid should be only for legal citizens of the United States. There should be no exceptions to this.
