SOTU question-Is the "Civilian Reserve Corps" a privatization of the military?

[underpants]

This is the only mention of it in the speech

A second task we can take on together is to design and establish a volunteer Civilian Reserve Corps. Such a corps would function much like our military reserve. It would ease the burden on the Armed Forces by allowing us to hire civilians with critical skills to serve on missions abroad when America needs them. It would give people across America who do not wear the uniform a chance to serve in the defining struggle of our time.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/01/20070123-2.html

I thought this was quite a weird thing to bring up. It implies that the actual Reserve is depleted to a point that such a radical change is necessary. It also, quite frankly, sounds like an expansion of the use of private contractors instead of having enlisted personnel and all the costs (and benefits) that that includes.

The use of private contractor is nothing new of course. There are relatively no Army cooks anymore nor are there many mechanics-Dynacorp has been caught in fraud on several occassions. We all are aware of the use of Blackwater type security forces as well.

What you "gain" from decreasing the government payroll (yes the DoD are government jobs) you lose in both command and control as well as in the basic training that every soldier sailor and marine receives. As much as they love to site the movie the rescue caravan in "Blackhawk Down" was made up of mechanics and cooks, something that is rarely mentioned. Full scale downsizing and privatization began shortly thereafter.

Is this what he might mean by this?
.

I did several searches and I have not been able to find any discussion of this of any kind.

[Norquist Nemesis]

1. It's an "augmentation"

IMO, it sounds like another mercenary gimmick with the added bonus of veteran benefits compliments of the taxpayers.

[Kagemusha]

2. Remember, civvies are subject to court-marshall now

This is a militarization of civilians, without providing them with military training. Which is expensive, you know.

[CBGLuthier]

3. One horrid possibility

Think of all the people, not in the services, who work for them.

Now, what if to work in those jobs you had to join this new reserve. Which then would be able to own you just like the military reserve so they can deploy you against your will.

They will call it volunteer but make it a condition for employment by the services.

Lets just all be sure of one thing. If Bush proposes it, it is not just a bad idea but an evil one with an agenda.

[Klukie]

4. I don't know....

I am shocked that nobody is jumping on this to find out exactly what dipshit meant. I hope Keith O. digs into this because something is not right.

[OregonBlue]

7. My reaction as well. What in the hell was he talking about. More

mercenaries? Being able to force them to serve like our current national guard? Wow, I mean Wow. Not one word on the MSM about it.

[bullimiami]

5. no i think its a militarization of 'desirable' private sector employees.

in this 'war' bush could just call them up like the military, pay them what he wants and send them where he wants and spit them out when he is done with them because, of course, they will have volunteered.

that doesnt sound very democratic.

[underpants]

8. You should look into the privatization of the CIA

there was a great article on it oh about a year ago. The CIA does this to a HUGE extent now too. Rather than keep people on the payroll they just hire them as needed and yes they do get access to classified material and then *poof* they are available to the highest bidder.

[atreides1]

6. It's a "Draft"

Without the drafting!

[CrazyOrangeCat]

9. It sounds like something out of . . .

. . . 1930's Germany. Goebbels' playbook is still in use.

[LonelyLRLiberal]

10. I would love to see a draft of proposed legislation on this.

I imagine we would be outraged.

I see some benefits for this war-mongering regime and none for the so-called "civilian volunteers."

1. No training - you probably volunteer to "serve" with current skills.
2. No benefits - no disability or death benefits, no health care, no retirement, etc.
3. Lower cost than private contractors currently risking life and limb for large salaries.
4. Enlarge available bodies for endless war without having to say the military is being vastly increased.

I am sure there are lots more.

[underpants]

11. I emailed all of the MSNBC shows and the networks

We'll see.

at this point I doubt there is very little that W can get through Congress.

[SanCristobal]

12. READ THIS: SECRET PLAN EXPOSED!

It's a way for the military to get access to civilian employees who specialize in jobs the military either doesn't do or isn't good at. People would volunteer for it, and could be deployed for up to a one year period. They would be paid according to the Federal pay scale. Bush probably got the idea from Wesley Clark, as it was part of Clarks 2004 campaign platform. Here are links that seem to explain most of this: http://www.clark04.com/misc/003, http://proceedings.ndia.org/6100/russell.pdf. I found them after 30 seconds of searching Google.

I have posted this on every single Civilian Reserve thread. Every time the thread imeadiatley dies and someone starts a new "Is Civilian Reserve a ______?" thread, the blank being draft, mercenary army, or fascist plot of Haliburton. Now this thread will probably die. I am frustrated.

[underpants]

15. I found them after 30 seconds of searching Google.

:grr: showoff! :grr:

Seriously thanks.

Are there other threads???

[Efilroft Sul]

13. More like this: Iraq Study Group Recommendation #74

Union Expresses Alarm Over Iraq Report Recommendation

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) expressed alarm over an Iraq Study Group recommendation that federal agencies consider ordering federal civilian employees to fill workforce shortages in Iraq if the jobs can’t be staffed with volunteers. AFGE President John Gage said Dec. 7 that the union was seeking clarification over the study group’s “Recommendation 74,” which said: “In the short term, if not enough civilians volunteer to fill key positions in Iraq, civilian agencies must fill those positions with directed assignments.” Such assignments normally are used by federal agencies when they transfer a job to a different location within the United States. Under those circumstances, the employee is told to move or risk losing the position. The “recommendation as it is written does little more than advocate a ‘draft’ for federal workers,” Gage said. “It's just like getting any ‘person on the street’ and telling him or her that working in Iraq is now a condition of employment.”

http://www.federaldaily.com/federaldaily/archive/2006/12/FD121106.htm

[underpants]

16. See the post right above yours

this appears to be one or the other.

Interesting. Thanks for the info.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

14. It's this...

I find it interesting that the guy responsible for killing more than 3,000 soldiers is basically saying that he can't kill them fast enough, and goes on national TV to plead for fresh meat for the sausage grinder.

[peacetalksforall]

17. It's a War Corp - something like the Peace Corp Or is it this -

Depends on the measure of education/intelligence and measure of compensation?

Low in both categories:
Man the prisons.
Work in the reconstruction of what we destroyed.
Free cooking for private contractors.
Free clean up of living quarters for contractors.
Man the streets.
Clean up the streets.
Install and secure oil/water pipelinese.
Secure the 'Embassy'.
Secure the airports.

High in both categories:
They already have people doing these for pay and compensation. Get them cheaper?

Remember - they don't want accountability on anything they are involved in.

Remember - about a year ago Bush said that he thought it would be great if Africans could be peace keepers around the world - giving them employment, etc. Wish I could find it and watch his upbeat glee at the idea.

Remember - a few weeks ago the idea of citizenship for services was talked about.

Put it all together - a picture forms.

Devoted follower - "I'm so proud, my son joined the President's War Corp".

[slackmaster]

18. It sounds to me like a calling up of the unorganized part of the militia

From the United States Code:

TITLE 10 > Subtitle A > PART I > CHAPTER 13 > § 311 Prev | Next

§ 311. Militia: composition and classes

(a) The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age and, except as provided in section 313 of title 32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the National Guard.
(b) The classes of the militia are—
(1) the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard and the Naval Militia; and
(2) the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the Naval Militia.

§ 312. Militia duty: exemptions

(a) The following persons are exempt from militia duty:
(1) The Vice President.
(2) The judicial and executive officers of the United States, the several States and Territories, and Puerto Rico.
(3) Members of the armed forces, except members who are not on active duty.
(4) Customhouse clerks.
(5) Persons employed by the United States in the transmission of mail.
(6) Workmen employed in armories, arsenals, and naval shipyards of the United States.
(7) Pilots on navigable waters.
(8) Mariners in the sea service of a citizen of, or a merchant in, the United States.
(b) A person who claims exemption because of religious belief is exempt from militia duty in a combatant capacity, if the conscientious holding of that belief is established under such regulations as the President may prescribe. However, such a person is not exempt from militia duty that the President determines to be noncombatant.

[MarcA]

19. Civilian Reserve Corps And Civilian Conservation Corp

It sounds like Privatized "volunteers" to do the
dirty work for Global Corporatists. Just hijacking and
perverting another Democratic Ideal as they have done with
Freedom and Democracy. This is not FDR's CCC although That
would be a good idea!