After 30 Years, Draft Fears Rise

[thedrifter]

After 30 Years, Draft Fears Rise
Some Youths and Parents Worry Despite Government's Assurances

By Christian Davenport
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 2, 2005; Page B01

In their Ellicott City kitchen, Jeff Amoros's parents handed their son the Selective Service registration form that arrived shortly after his 18th birthday. For them, it evoked dark memories of the Vietnam era. For Amoros, it meant: "I'm old enough to die for my country now."

At a Montgomery County Friends meeting house, peace activist J.E. McNeil explained to an audience how to convince draft boards that they are conscientious objectors. "Let me tell you why I think there's going to be a draft," she said.

Rarely in the more than 30 years since the draft was abolished has the Selective Service triggered such angst. Two years into the Iraq war, concern that the draft will be reinstated to supplement an overextended military persists -- no matter how often, or emphatically, President Bush and members of Congress say it won't.

In this atmosphere of suspicion, the Selective Service System, the Rosslyn-based agency that conscripted 1.8 million Americans during the Vietnam War and 10 million in World War II, quietly pursues its delicate dual mission: keeping the draft machinery ready, without sparking fear that it is coming back.

"We're told not to do a particular thing but to be prepared to do it," said Dan Amon, a spokesman for the Selective Service, which last year registered about 15.6 million young men between the draft-eligible ages of 18 and 25. "We just continue to carry out our mission as mandated by Congress."

These days, the agency spends a lot of time allaying fears and dispelling rumors. Go to the Selective Service Web site, and the first thing you see is an explanation of how Congress voted 402 to 2 against a bill to make military service mandatory.

A Washington public relations firm, Widmeyer Communications, hired by the agency to offer strategic advice, noted last year that "virtually any move taken by Selective Service is seen in many quarters as clear evidence that a draft is imminent."

"There is so much misinformation out there," said Richard Flahavan, associate director of Selective Service for public and intergovernmental affairs. "Most folks, if you pulled them off the street, would believe we could turn on the draft in the dark of night and consult no one."

Proving a Belief


If there weren't such widespread concern about the possibility of the draft's return, J.E. McNeil wouldn't be so busy.

On a recent Friday night, McNeil, executive director of the Center on Conscience and War, brought her presentation on how to win conscientious objector status to the Sandy Spring Friends Community House. She told the audience of about 25 that there is a "perfect storm" of conditions that could lead to conscription: low recruiting numbers and the strain that Iraq has placed on the all-volunteer military, especially the National Guard and reserves.

So conscientious objectors need to be ready, she warned. The key to convincing a draft board, she said, is to document the objections before conscription is ever reinstated.

"If you're trying to prove a belief or a feeling, you can't rip open your chest and have the words written on your heart," she said.

continued......

[thedrifter]

An objector, she said, has to be able to answer the question: " 'How did you come by your beliefs?' Not all of us wake up at 5 years old and say, 'I'm a conscientious objector.' " It won't work to tell a draft board "you think it would be icky to kill people," she said.

She also warned the group that the Selective Service shares names and addresses with military recruiters.

One way to ensure that the system is equitable, she said, is for peace activists to volunteer for draft boards, which the Selective Service has tried to make more representative of the communities they serve.

About 11,000 people nationwide serve on the boards. Without a draft, their time commitment is small: one training session a year, which consists in part of watching a video with actors portraying different scenarios that might come up.

In one, a pastor seeking conscientious objector status is asked by a board member, "Why don't you want to serve your country during a time of war?"

The pastor replies: "From the time I wanted to be a minister, I knew that I could not hurt -- let alone kill -- anyone."

Although concern about a draft has heightened since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the Selective Service's Amon said the agency is "like a small-town fire volunteer fire company. There may never be a fire, but you still want that department there just in case."

So the agency continues to stay ready, as it has since 1980, when President Jimmy Carter and Congress revived registration as a show of force after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. Registration had been suspended in 1975, two years after the draft was abolished, and the Selective Service went into a "deep standby" posture soon thereafter.

Today its mission entails not only registering 18-year-old men (women, who are barred from some ground combat units, are exempted) but helping state legislatures craft incentives to boost registration. Forty-one states, three territories and the District have laws that link Selective Service registration with a person's ability to get a driver's license, hold a state job or attend a state university, according to the agency.

The District, which allows men ages 18 to 25 to register when they get their driver's licenses, was tied with Puerto Rico for the nation's lowest rate of registering 18-year-olds last year, at 49 percent. Maryland, which has a similar law, was at 66 percent compliance. Virginia, which requires registration for getting a driver's license, registered 77 percent.

Flahavan said those numbers will improve as the population gets older and "we have another year to follow and chase them and try to identify them."

When the form landed in the Amoroses' mailbox in January, it immediately was cause for concern. For Jeff's father, Scott Amoros, 46, it renewed the anxiety he felt when his older brother registered as combat in Vietnam was winding down, and of hearing summer camp counselors talk about fleeing the country. Jeff's mother, Irene Amoros, "wasn't in tears," Jeff said, "but you could tell she was upset." By the time Jeff Amoros registered with the Selective Service a few days later, he started to wonder: Was it possible he would have to go to Iraq?

Special Skills


There's not going to be a draft. Political leaders can't seem to say that enough. But if there were to be one, it could be of specific skilled professionals rather than general conscription, Flahavan said. That could mean women would be included -- and the cutoff age could be extended past 25 years.

Since 1987, at Congress's request, the Selective Service has had a plan to register male and female health care workers ages 20 to 45 in more than 60 medical specialties in case the country suddenly needed more doctors or nurses. The proposal would require the authorization of Congress and the president.

More recently, the agency has talked about reinventing itself by registering all sorts of professionals whose expertise could be helpful in an emergency. That way, the Selective Service could become a national "repository or inventory of special skills," according to the agency's annual report.

The "special skills" draft could give the government the option of calling up people in a variety of specialties, such as linguists, computer experts, police officers or firefighters, Flahavan said.

Other government agencies besides the Department of Defense could draft those workers, the report states. They could include U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The agency knows what angst such a program could cause, and Flahavan repeatedly stresses that it is "just a concept" that would require authorization from Congress.

"We're not advocating that it should be done," he said. "All we're saying is . . . we've been in this business for [more than 60] years. We know how to run a draft."

Ellie

[thedrifter]

The Selective Service

Dan Amon
Spokesman for the Selective Service
Thursday, June 2, 2005; 2:00 PM

In Thursday's article, " After 30 Years, Draft Fears Rise " (Post, June 2), Washington Post staff writer Christian Davenport reports:

"Rarely in the more than 30 years since the draft was abolished has the Selective Service triggered such angst. Two years into the Iraq war, concern that the draft will be reinstated to supplement an overextended military persists -- no matter how often, or emphatically, President Bush and members of Congress say it won't.

"In this atmosphere of suspicion, the Selective Service System, the Rosslyn-based agency that conscripted 1.8 million Americans during the Vietnam War and 10 million in World War II, quietly pursues its delicate dual mission: keeping the draft machinery ready, without sparking fear that it is coming back."

Dan Amon , a spokesman for the Selective Service, was online Thursday, June 2, at 2 p.m. ET to answer your questions about the Selective Service System.

The transcript follows.

____________________

Dan Amon: Hello, everyone. My name is Dan Amon. I'm a public affairs specialist with the Selective Service System. I will be happy to answer your questions.

_______________________

Herndon, Va.: Sir,

with all due respect, how can you possibly continue operations in Iraq without a draft? The U.S. Army has missed its recruiting goals for four straight months, and is off by almost 10 percent for the year. None of the other services, or the national Guard is doing much better. Furthermore the National guard troops are legally limited to an overseas activation period of two years, and all of those soldiers will need to be replaced soon.

We've seen recently the increasingly desperate tactics of military recruiters, That caused the head of military recruiting to order a stand down day.

Worse yet the military has repeatedly lowered its minimum fitness, IQ and Mental health standards and maximum age for recruits, leaving serious questions about their fitness to serve.

How can we possibly continue this war in Iraq, much less provide a credible threat of military action against Iran or North Korea, without reinstituting the draft?

Dan Amon: The Secretary of Defense has continued to maintain that the U.S. has sufficient forces for the missions before it, including Iraq and the war on terrorism.

_______________________

La Salle, Ill.: The article mentions serving on your draft board -- How do you go about doing that?

Dan Amon: Instructions for applying can be found on our web site, http://www.sss.gov. Go to the "Fast Facts" link to find the proper sublink.

_______________________

Alexandria, Va.: While I don't buy the argument that the draft is needed to help offset the current overextension of forces in Iraq, I do wonder whether it might be useful for America to require two years of national service to our country of varying types. I think it could help bring us together as a nation in our current divisive state.

Dan Amon: Thanks for sharing your views with us. That would be a matter for the Congress to consider.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Why is the draft only for males?

The straight answer is most likely "that is the way the law was written." If that is the case, do you forsee a time where women will have to register as well as men (and thus have all the same restrictions on the FAFSA and other governmental documents)?

Thanks.

Dan Amon: There is no provision in the Military Selective Service Act (MSSA) to register or draft females. The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld that exclusion. It would take an act of Congress to change that policy.

continued

[thedrifter]

Blacksburg, Va.: I've curiously looked at my husband's registration card (don't have any brothers so I'd never seen one) and note that it has his old address. Is he supposed to update his address? I just assumed the federal government would be able to find him. Are there penalties for letting the information get out of date?

Dan Amon: If he is 26 or older, he no longer has to notify Selective Service of any address changes.

_______________________

Falls Church, Va.: If the draft does come back and you get called up, what is the proper procedure to follow if you are a conscientious objector?

Dan Amon: You would have ten days to file a claim as a CO with your local board.

_______________________

Corvallis, Ore.: If there is a draft, will there still be exemptions for men enrolled at university?

Dan Amon: Unlike the student deferment system during the Vietnam era, a student will be able to finish his current semester. Seniors will be able to finish their final academic year.

_______________________

Falls Church, Va.: With various Congresses and Presidents denying it, the Pentagon saying outright 'We wouldn't want it', and the extreme unpopularity of the idea among the public, why is it that some people continue to think the draft has a chance of coming back in a situation other than an extreme emergency?

Dan Amon: A good question. We understand the anxiety of many people, but can only answer the rumors with the facts.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Hello, at Gallaudet University here in D.C., all the students have to fill out the financial aid forms. The form asks for the Selective Service number but the military barred people with disabilities to serve in the military. Any advice?

Dan Amon: The best advice I could give would be to complete the required forms in order to remain eligible for all the benefits and privileges connected with registration. You would spare yourself the necessity of answering future questions about not being registered, even if disability would rule out actual military service.

_______________________

Ann Arbor, Mich.: Mr. Amon,

Could you please describe the timeframe for a resumption of the Draft -- -if- there is one? Would there be a PR campaign? How long would it take to begin induction: a month, two weeks???

Thank you.

Dan Amon: If called upon the the Congress and President to resume the draft, Selective Service would be able to provide the first young men in approximately 193 days. Before that time, local boards would be activated and many more people hired to administer a draft. Selective Service would hold a lottery and induction notices would go out to the young men chosen in that lottery.

_______________________

Follow-up to Corvallis, Ore.: "Dan Amon: Unlike the student deferment system during the Vietnam era, a student will be able to finish his current semester."

Will this mean that students loose their scholarships and other financial aid (not to mention having to pay back student loans and having interest accrue on them)? Or are there provisions similiar to a Guard call-up where you can return to the same job, pay, etc.

Dan Amon: Yes, a student inducted after that semester would lose the scholarship. Whether he regains the assistance after his service would be up to the school's financial aid office or other source of the scholarship.

_______________________

Norristown, Pa.: If there was a draft announced, I would plan on volunteering with the Air Force before they had a chance to draft me. Would this plan work?

Dan Amon: Yes. As always, you could volunteer in the service of your choice.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Hi, I don't want to go to war, but if my country forced me to, I would want to go as a marine.

If (hypothetically of course) the draft were reinstated, and the army called me up, could I go down the street and enlist as a marine to avoid the army, or would I have to enlist as a marine before the army layed their paws on me?

Dan Amon: You would want to enlist with the Marines first.

_______________________

Kensington, Md.: I have been having problems with the SS for a number of years. I grew up in Canada, and did not learn until after I was 25 that I was an American. I am an American because all my Grand parents were born here and my parents lived in the states for a number of years. I did not then register for the draft because I was too old. Every few years, such as when I applied for a student loan I have problems because I never registered. Is there a way for me to post-25 register so I no longer have to worry about this?

Dan Amon: By law, Selective Service cannot register a man once he reaches the age of 26. Keep in mind that if you can demonstrate that any failure to register on your part wasn't deliberate, or that the law otherwise didn't apply to you, you should not be denied any of the privileges or benefits connected to registration.

_______________________

Chattanooga, Ten.: I support President Bush and the war in Iraq, but not to the extent that I'm willing to see my kids, who are all about college age, get drafted. If the draft were reinstated, wouldn't it make more sense to allow full four year deferments for those in college (or longer, if they go to grad school) so we don't lose an entire generation of educated citizens?

Dan Amon: Allowing Vietnam-era deferments might generate the same mistrust for the system that we saw in the 1960s. We can otherwise be sure that there will never be a shortage of college students.

_______________________

Alexandria, Va.: A basic question: Now that we have women in the armed forces and in the military academies, are women also supposed to register for the draft?

And if not, why not?

Dan Amon: As I mentioned earlier, there is no provision in the law either to register or draft females. The constitutionality of the exclusion was upheld by the Supreme Court in Rostker vs. Goldberg, 1981.

continued......

[thedrifter]

Washington, D.C.: The intro to this chat says draft-eligible ages are 18 to 25. So now that my husband is 28, I no longer have to worry about him getting drafted?

Dan Amon: You husband is too old to be drafted. If the draft were ever resumed, the first callups would be 20-year-olds. It would be highly unlikely that the pool of 20-year-olds would be exhausted. Even if that happened, the next ages called up, in order, would be 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 19, and 18.

_______________________

Greenbelt, Md.: I'm all for the draft, which should have already been started. Spreading the sacrifice around is the only fair (and American) way of dealing with the current situation. All the many benefits of the wars we're in are being enjoyed by all, the opportunity to sacrifice should not be limited to only the poorest and least educated.

How can I help get this country back on track?

Dan Amon: I would invite you to share your views with your representative in Congress. We have had an all-volunteer military since 1973. Congress, the Department of Defense, and top military officials all say they are pleased with the system and see no need to change it.

_______________________

Houston, Tex.: Since it is a crime for an 18+ male not to register, why does the U.S. Government still give benefits to those who willfully violate the law? For example, the Coast Guard will grant a Merchant Mariner's Document to an unregistered male. The INS will grant citizenship or residency status to those who are required, but do not register for the draft. There are many more examples.

Dan Amon: It isn't true that INS (or CIS, Citizenship and Immigration Services, as it's now called) grants citizenship to men who aren't registered, but should be.

I can speak to the requirements Congress has set. I am not aware of any additional requirements by other agencies in the government.

_______________________

Stafford, Va.: The article this morning stated that 15 million men registered last year. Set the record straight that there are only 2 million men in an age group so how can you register 15 million?

washingtonpost.com: After 30 Years, Draft Fears Rise (Post, June 2)

Dan Amon: Last year, we registered about 2.5 million men. The overall total of men registered over the years is about 15 million.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: O.K. So the prez and viceprez say no draft ... but the Army/Marines will be in IRAQ until 2009. Since there is a limit on the guard and reserve (unless they are conscripted) ... where are all these bodies going to come from for the next FOUR years without a draft?

Dan Amon: You'll need to share with the rest of us how you know for a fact how long the U.S. will be in Iraq. Meanwhile, those whose opinions count have said repeatedly that the draft will not be needed.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: The Selective Service System received a memorandum directive from the National Security Council in 2003 instructing it to prepare for in-person "post-registration selectee processing" using the administrative facilities of local national guard units. Since 2003, each state has established s central SSS point of contact, in each case a national guard officer, paid for out of Federal funds.

How can the SSS deny that the draft is returning at the end of 2006? That's what your own public documents state. I've seen them.

Dan Amon: We have gotten no direction whatsoever that there will be a draft in 2005, 2006, or any other year. Not from the NSC or any other federal agency.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: Mr. Amon, I registered with the Selective Service in 1983 when I turned 18. At that time I was living in Los Angeles. I have since moved to Virginia. Am I obligated to update my address with the Selective Service?

Dan Amon: No. Not since your 26th birthday.

_______________________

Bethesda, Md.: Isn't the name kind of Orwellian? There's nothing selective about it for the individual. If the president deceives us about an attack or threat to the country, as they did in both the Vietnam and most recent of Iraq conflicts, you have to go. You are at the mercy of the honesty of the White House -- which has shown itself to be a precarious proposition.

Dan Amon: Your elected representative in Congress would be more qualified than I to answer that question.

_______________________

Virginia: Hello. I applied for a federal job and HR needs my SS number. I lost it somewhere. Where can I find my number?

Dan Amon: Go to our web site, http://www.sss.gov, and find information on ways to contact us.

_______________________

Clifton, Va.: My son is my only son. Will he be drafted too?

Dan Amon: The "only surviving son" exclusion would apply only in families where another immediate member has died as the result of military service. Whatever the case, he is still obligated by register at the age of 18.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Once someone has served in the military, are they still in the SS system?

I'm not sure what my status would be: I resigned from the USNA after six weeks of plebe summer with an Honorable Discharge. I know I'm not a veteran, but I'm not sure what my status would be with a draft board.

Dan Amon: You would be required to register.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Q1: Is it true that if you have only one son, he will not be drafted. If not, it should be and you would continue to kill our generations. Q2: Has all of the President's 18 and over male relatives registered with Selective Service. Q3: How can our decision makers live with and sleep at night knowing that they are deliberately killing our sons over a war which they know nothing about and did not create. Q4: How do you feel about individuals if drafted going to Canada instead of reporting to duty? Q5: Could you (our decision makers) deny the request of your loved one asking you not to draft your son, nephew, uncle, godson, etc. In conclusion, I have to say that I have several brothers who were in the vietnam war who left as healthy young adults and returned, not so young and not so healthy, and will never be the same, physically, mentally and emotionally and with no family. This type of history should not repeat itself. Out decision makers should put themselves in the shoes of the american families who are the ones making all the sacrifices for whatever decisions you seem to make.

Dan Amon: Q1 -- Only if an immediate family member died as the result of military service.

Q2 -- President Bush registered with Selective Service when he was a young man, and his male relatives face the same requirement.

Q3 -- I'm not a "decision maker" and cannot answer that question. My answers to Q4 and Q5 would be irrelevant.
contined..............

[thedrifter]

Washington, D.C.: The intro to this chat says draft-eligible ages are 18 to 25. So now that my husband is 28, I no longer have to worry about him getting drafted?

Dan Amon: You husband is too old to be drafted. If the draft were ever resumed, the first callups would be 20-year-olds. It would be highly unlikely that the pool of 20-year-olds would be exhausted. Even if that happened, the next ages called up, in order, would be 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 19, and 18.

_______________________

Greenbelt, Md.: I'm all for the draft, which should have already been started. Spreading the sacrifice around is the only fair (and American) way of dealing with the current situation. All the many benefits of the wars we're in are being enjoyed by all, the opportunity to sacrifice should not be limited to only the poorest and least educated.

How can I help get this country back on track?

Dan Amon: I would invite you to share your views with your representative in Congress. We have had an all-volunteer military since 1973. Congress, the Department of Defense, and top military officials all say they are pleased with the system and see no need to change it.

_______________________

Houston, Tex.: Since it is a crime for an 18+ male not to register, why does the U.S. Government still give benefits to those who willfully violate the law? For example, the Coast Guard will grant a Merchant Mariner's Document to an unregistered male. The INS will grant citizenship or residency status to those who are required, but do not register for the draft. There are many more examples.

Dan Amon: It isn't true that INS (or CIS, Citizenship and Immigration Services, as it's now called) grants citizenship to men who aren't registered, but should be.

I can speak to the requirements Congress has set. I am not aware of any additional requirements by other agencies in the government.

_______________________

Stafford, Va.: The article this morning stated that 15 million men registered last year. Set the record straight that there are only 2 million men in an age group so how can you register 15 million?

washingtonpost.com: After 30 Years, Draft Fears Rise (Post, June 2)

Dan Amon: Last year, we registered about 2.5 million men. The overall total of men registered over the years is about 15 million.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: O.K. So the prez and viceprez say no draft ... but the Army/Marines will be in IRAQ until 2009. Since there is a limit on the guard and reserve (unless they are conscripted) ... where are all these bodies going to come from for the next FOUR years without a draft?

Dan Amon: You'll need to share with the rest of us how you know for a fact how long the U.S. will be in Iraq. Meanwhile, those whose opinions count have said repeatedly that the draft will not be needed.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: The Selective Service System received a memorandum directive from the National Security Council in 2003 instructing it to prepare for in-person "post-registration selectee processing" using the administrative facilities of local national guard units. Since 2003, each state has established s central SSS point of contact, in each case a national guard officer, paid for out of Federal funds.

How can the SSS deny that the draft is returning at the end of 2006? That's what your own public documents state. I've seen them.

Dan Amon: We have gotten no direction whatsoever that there will be a draft in 2005, 2006, or any other year. Not from the NSC or any other federal agency.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: Mr. Amon, I registered with the Selective Service in 1983 when I turned 18. At that time I was living in Los Angeles. I have since moved to Virginia. Am I obligated to update my address with the Selective Service?

Dan Amon: No. Not since your 26th birthday.

_______________________

Bethesda, Md.: Isn't the name kind of Orwellian? There's nothing selective about it for the individual. If the president deceives us about an attack or threat to the country, as they did in both the Vietnam and most recent of Iraq conflicts, you have to go. You are at the mercy of the honesty of the White House -- which has shown itself to be a precarious proposition.

Dan Amon: Your elected representative in Congress would be more qualified than I to answer that question.

_______________________

Virginia: Hello. I applied for a federal job and HR needs my SS number. I lost it somewhere. Where can I find my number?

Dan Amon: Go to our web site, http://www.sss.gov, and find information on ways to contact us.

_______________________

Clifton, Va.: My son is my only son. Will he be drafted too?

Dan Amon: The "only surviving son" exclusion would apply only in families where another immediate member has died as the result of military service. Whatever the case, he is still obligated by register at the age of 18.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Once someone has served in the military, are they still in the SS system?

I'm not sure what my status would be: I resigned from the USNA after six weeks of plebe summer with an Honorable Discharge. I know I'm not a veteran, but I'm not sure what my status would be with a draft board.

Dan Amon: You would be required to register.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Q1: Is it true that if you have only one son, he will not be drafted. If not, it should be and you would continue to kill our generations. Q2: Has all of the President's 18 and over male relatives registered with Selective Service. Q3: How can our decision makers live with and sleep at night knowing that they are deliberately killing our sons over a war which they know nothing about and did not create. Q4: How do you feel about individuals if drafted going to Canada instead of reporting to duty? Q5: Could you (our decision makers) deny the request of your loved one asking you not to draft your son, nephew, uncle, godson, etc. In conclusion, I have to say that I have several brothers who were in the vietnam war who left as healthy young adults and returned, not so young and not so healthy, and will never be the same, physically, mentally and emotionally and with no family. This type of history should not repeat itself. Out decision makers should put themselves in the shoes of the american families who are the ones making all the sacrifices for whatever decisions you seem to make.

Dan Amon: Q1 -- Only if an immediate family member died as the result of military service.

Q2 -- President Bush registered with Selective Service when he was a young man, and his male relatives face the same requirement.

Q3 -- I'm not a "decision maker" and cannot answer that question. My answers to Q4 and Q5 would be irrelevant.

Ellie

[al20852]

As someone who was drafted many, many years ago, I have no doubt that some of the best personnel I knew were draftees. I fail to see how you can fight the war on terror without a draft. Either we take this seriously or we do not.

I recognize that this is a serious political issue, and that noone who has to run for office wants to handle this hot potato, but sooner or later we need to face it. If we are facing a national crisis then we need to treat it like a crisis, and that to me means that we need a draft to assure that we have enough people to do the job.

[marinefamily5]

myself i'm all for the draft.....myself i think it should be a law that everyone right out of high school should be made to do atleast 2 years in the military......

[LDO Capt]

God forbid they have to pay a price for the freedoms that they enjoy.
I am against the draft, only because of the headache associated with a bunch of draftees that didnt want to be there. They could make life worse than the terrorists.

[Osotogary]

It's fantasy time!!

Don't call it a draft. Call it "Mandatory Duty".
Citizens of this Country, either natural or naturalized ,should be made to serve "Mandatory Duty" to this Country primarily in the Armed Forces. If not the military then Homeland Security or some sort of Conservation Corps. (Urban and Rural) for a minimum of two active years and one reserve year and this is only after they have gone through a six week basic training/ screening to determine which job they would best be suited. All this should be initiated as soon as the citizen becomes 18 years of age....no exceptions. Also, it should be made mandatory, for those that administer these programs, that once a year, for a minimum of two weeks, they should be "out in the field".

[CHOPPER7199]

THESE PEOPLE WANT IT ALL AND GIVE NOTHING IN RETURN. TO MANY OUT THERE WITH ATTITUDE PROBLEMS, OF LET THE OTHER GUY DO IT AND I,LL TAKE THE REWARDS. FREEDOM TO THOSE WHO HAVE FOUGHT FOR IT, I GUESS HAVE DIFFERENT ATTITUDES. WHATS WRONG WITH GIVING A COUPLE OF YRS OF YOUR LIFE FOR THE COUNTRY YOU LIVE IN? BUT YOU SAME PEOPLE LOVE THE HOLIDAYS WITH PAY,MOST OF THEM, BUT NEVER THINK WHAT THE SACRIFICES WHERE TO HAVE THEM. SO IN CLOSING, YOU COWARDS CAN KISS MY OLD GRUNTS ASS. THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE SERVED AND ARE SERVING. GEE, I JUST REMEMBER THAT THIS IS NOT AN OPEN CHAT SITE TO ALL THE IDIOTS.

[Osotogary]

You're right, JARHEAD5862, it's not an open chat site but you sure as heck made one banana happy. LOL

[eddief]

I'll fight tooth and nail against the draft coming back. Indentured servitude to the state is one notch lower than slavery.

Sorry if that offends people here. It's just my libertatian ideals shining through.

[eddief]

President Bush said that the draft wouldn't come back under his watch. I expect him to keep his word on that. We'll see if he is like his old man and goes back on his word. Remember Bush41's promise of no new taxes?

So if Congress votes to bring back the draft, then if Bush has any honor he will veto it with no hesitation whatsoever.

[USMCgrunt0331]

So your saying that you would still be opposed to the draft even if it came down to imposing the draft or having our country taken over and losing America to a foreign enemy? Cause what was left in the country might be enslaved if we didn't do whatever we had to do to protect and defend the USA.