Army Reserve battling an exodus

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2003/11/23/army_reserve_battling_an_exodus/

WASHINGTON -- The US Army Reserve fell short of its reenlistment goals this fiscal year, underscoring Pentagon fears that the protracted conflict in Iraq could cause a crippling exodus from the armed services.

The Army Reserve has missed its retention goal by 6.7 percent, the second shortfall since fiscal 1997. It was largely the result of a larger than expected exodus of career reservists, a loss of valuable skills because such staff members are responsible for training junior officers and operating complex weapons systems.

"The Army has invested an enormous amount of money in training these people, and they're very hard to replace," said John Pike of globalsecurity.org, an independent research group in Washington.

With extended deployments and increasingly deadly attacks by Iraqi guerrillas, Defense Department officials are scrambling to combat a broader downturn in retention and recruitment that they fear is on the horizon.
<snip>

Close the window, I feel a draft coming on.

[CRYINGWOLFOWITZ]

1. it isn't quite that simple

The days when 18 year olds could be drafted, given 2 months of training, a rifle and sent to some god forsaken place are long gone. We have a largely professional military, one in which training can take years. Not to mention it would be political suicide and Rove wouldn't approve it even if the Chinese invaded.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

3. Have you net seen all the requests for draft board volunteers?

The reserves are starting to dry up already. I'm to old for this one, but I remeber the chill of discovering my draft number was 12 back in '71.

I've had some of the people who are in the reserves working for me in the past that could barely read. I also have friends that are full bird Colonels. There's plenty of room for grunts in today's military.

[Judi Lynn]

10. Bush's great refuge from the consequences of his war adventures

was the fact most Americans didn't feel personally involved.

Feels pretty drafty here in the Midwest, Billy_Pilgrim.

[leftchick]

6. afraid not....

The draft will happen if the lying chimpass* is reselected. Do you honestly believe they need "smart" people for cannon fodder?

[Patriot_Spear]

7. I apologize in advance: you don't know what you're talking about

I'm not trying to be harsh, but clearly you've never been in the military.

After I got out of the regular Army, I spent a few years in the Reserves. My unit's mission was simple- After activation we would pick up a batch of trainees and spend three months in OSUT (One Station Unit Training), whereupon we would then ship out as a filled out combat arms unit.

This type of mission is the principal behind the reserves; a core leadership to train raw recruits who then step up in to regular Army roles. Units rotated out of the line would then serve as a training cadre.

Get your facts straight- do you really think in a time of war our nation could wait YEARS for Soldiers to emerge from training?

SS has made it a goal, by next summer, to have their draft boards filled out and fully functioning, inducting civilians, in under two months, - Bush* has committed 28 million to this goal. There is definately movement right now in DC in the direction of bringing back the draft.

[izzie]

11. Chinese invaded? We are going to spend out selfs into a....

bloodless take over. They, the Chinese, are already holding alot of our debt. Wait to they start calling it in.

[Mountainman]

16. It never was just 2 months training.

It was basic training then you were sent to many more months of training in you MOS. For me it was a year at Ft Monmonth signal school.

[Nlighten1]

17. Political Suicide?

I am convinced that this President could sacrifice a baby on national TV and not get in one iota of political trouble.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

23. You're kidding, right?? Legislation CURRENTLY in committee...

"Political suicide"? Only if the draft is actually enacted before the 2004 elections...after 2004 the Bushies will care even less what anyone thinks about their actions. But suppose a major terrorist event occurs anytime BEFORE the 2004 elections? Would it not be in keeping with the Junta to declare martial law and to cancel the elections?

The following two congressional bills are CURRENTLY in committee waiting for the green light to proceed to the voting process. Please note that these bills DO NOT allow deferments of any kind.

Additionally, please note that the last link is to the Selective Service System website...read carefully and you will find the authorization for $28 million to get the system ready for operation in mid-2005.

=========================================

H. R. 163:

To provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons
in the United States, including women, perform a period of military
service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes.

Mr. Rangel (for himself, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Lewis of
Georgia, Mr. Stark, and Mr. Abercrombie) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

<http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/useftp.cgi?IPaddress=162.140.64.21&filename=h163ih.txt&directory=/diskb/wais/data/108_cong_bills>

==========================================

S. 89:

To provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons
in the United States, including women, perform a period of military
service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes.

Mr. Hollings introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services

<http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/useftp.cgi?IPaddress=162.140.64.21&filename=s89is.txt&directory=/diskb/wais/data/108_cong_bills>

==========================================
SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM
<http://www.sss.gov/perfplan_fy2004.html>

Excerpts:

"Strategic Goal 1: Increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the Manpower Delivery Systems (Projected allocation for FY 2004 – $7,942,000)"

...snip...

"Strategic Goal 2: Improve overall Registration Compliance and Service to the Public (Projected allocation FY 2004 – $8,769,000)"

...snip...

"Strategic Goal 3: Enhance external and internal customer service
(Projected allocation for FY 2004 – $10,624,000)"

...snip...

"Strategic Goal 4: Enhance the system which guarantees that each conscientious objector is properly classified, placed, and monitored.(Projected allocation for FY 2004 – $955,000)"

====================================

[leesa]

25. Isn't it set to begin in January 2005? It HAS to happen. There is no

other way for the Bush Crime Family to continue their murdering and pillaging without it.

[dArKeR]

2. Is anyone paying attention or am I information overloaded? Didn't we just

see a post that a some Major Whore Media Crime Family just ran a story that recruitment was doing just fine!

Maybe it was I who posted it? LOL!

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

4. Saw that. Kinda hard to keep a lie going with so many people

involved.

[hadrons]

5. dArKeR, I think that was the reg. Army ....

of course, they made their target of reenlistments of how many they NEEDED to keep AFTER dropping their stated goal of how many they WANTED to keep

[Noordam]

8. I think they dropped their goal not once but TWICE as I remember

And as in Viet Nam the troops are finding out there are no SAFE areas.

[MaineDem]

9. It's easy to make your goal when the bar is always lowered

I remember reading that their goal was lowered a few times.

Spin, spin, spin

[dArKeR]

12. OK, I'm mixed up as usual! Thanks.

[Walt Starr]

14. Yep, the Regular Army exceeded its recruitment goals last FY

What the story failed to tell was the fact that those recruitment goals were actually lowered TWICE because there was no way in hell they were going to make the original goal, then they saw they were falling short of the reduced number!

[AlabamaYankee]

15. I believe they've also lowered the education requirement

For a while, I thought, the recriters weren't taking anybody without a high school diploma or GED. Then they lowered it to "c'mon in and we'll help you get your GED". Now, do they even worry about that?

[dArKeR]

13. Army and recruits grapple with Iraq - MSGOP

For Robert, joining the Army last May was a no-brainer. With the job market stagnant and his hopes for a college education hanging in the balance, the Army’s promise to trade tuition for a three-year stint seemed like a good bet, especially since he was able to defer his enlistment for six months. Now, as his December induction date approaches, Robert is having second thoughts, like many other recruits who deferred enlistment.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/995062.asp

Do you think this is a government plan/conspiracy to force our poor children into the military? It's the only way millions of cildren can get medical insurance or a college eduction.

What a disgrace our country is! blackmailing our own children's lives. What would the military recruitment be if the US had universal medical coverage, a job for children in the private sector, and/or the ability to go to college without being blackmailed by our Federal Government?

[teryang]

18. The spanish speaking channels on cable

...in my area are loaded with Army recruitment commercials. I rarely see them on the english speaking channels.

[bemildred]

21. See that here too.

Happy latinos wearing uniforms.

[pdove]

19. We have to have draft

Otherwise only poor people will fight for the rich people.
I suggest draft Bush twins as a good example, then he will think more carefully before starting war.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

24. Guess what? There is already a program under discussion that will...

...allow people with certain skills/education to join organizations that will count the same as military service.

Guess what level of people will qualify for working in such organizations?

[ConcernedCanuk]

20. Hmmmm ! Betcha Canada could "use' some of that "trained" personnel

. . They ARE talking of "beefing" up our Military - -

nah,

- it get's cold up here, most of our beer is stronger,

(OUR Budweiser is 5% and we got other beers up to 6.5% if ur in a hurry!!)

and what would ya do with that extra $$ y'all don't have spend on healthcare !

oh yah

- the other thing

we don't go to war much -

[moondust]

22. Look for a draft if * reSelected.

Look for U.S. troops coming home and U.N. and/or NATO taking over if * rightfully booted onto junk heap of history.

[bemildred]

26. I am skeptical that they can wait until after the reSelection. nt

[Noordam]

27. Right EIGHT MONTHS

in VN time, it was normally 8 months from I DO to arrival in Nam.

3 months Basic Training
3 months Advance Ind. Training.
and around two months leave and slop between basic and ait going over.

So if they started TODAY passed a draft and starting drafting it would take 10-12 months before the draft placed people in Iraq.