Hillary wants to "activate" the Civilian Reserve Corp. What is that???

[dixiegrrrrl]

Says she wants to cut the contractors to save money, by activating the Civilian Reerve Corp.
See why listening to these hearings are important???

But..what the hell is this corp??

[leftstreet]

1. ?? Unemployed people ??

:shrug:

[cdsilv]

2. Something 'W' wanted, don't know if it ever got off the ground....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilian_Reserve_Corps

[Richardo]

3. OMG it's Obama's secret army!!!1!!

Oh WHY did I not listen to Glenn Beck when I had the chance? :cry:

[redqueen]

4. *roffle*

:rofl:

[Posteritatis]

35. There seem to be people in this thread who think exactly that. (nt)

[divvy]

5. There is a wiki entry ... something to do with national security in 2006

The creation of a Civilian Reserve Corps was called for in both the 2006 National Security Strategy <1> and in the 2007 State of the Union Address. It would give people across America who do not wear the uniform a chance to serve in the defining struggle of our time."<2>

In a twist to the usual State Department-Pentagon rivalry, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has become the program's most outspoken advocate. "The Department of Defense has taken on many … burdens that might have been assumed by civilian agencies in the past… done an admirable job…but it is no replacement for the real thing - civilian involvement and expertise… Funding for non-military foreign-affairs programs…remains disproportionately small relative to what we spend on the military… Secretary Rice has asked for a budget increase for the State Department and an expansion of the Foreign Service. The need is real… What is clear to me is that there is a need for a dramatic increase in spending on the civilian instruments of national security - diplomacy, strategic communications, foreign assistance, civic action, and economic reconstruction and development… W, having robust civilian capabilities available could make it less likely that military force will have to be used in the first place, as local problems might be dealt with before they become crises." <3>

link here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilian_Reserve_Corps

[proudohioan]

6. I have no idea.

Looked at Wikipedia, and I'm still unsure what the corp really is.

I don't know about you, but it doesn't sound good to me.

And good for you listening to those hearings! C-SPAN?

[dixiegrrrrl]

15. Link to the hearings:

http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=stream1

From what I read of the corps, it mentions overseas, too,
"to relieve our military" for other duties??!!??

Listening to the hearings you pick up plans and ideas that will never be reported on MSM,
you can see what is coming down the pike, what our country is going to focus on,
priorities, warnings, all sorts of things.

And I put TWO threads up for the hearings, someone unrec's them...:wtf:

[proudohioan]

30. Thanks, I will listen now.

I find the same thing with C-Span, picking up stuff that you will NEVER hear on M$M!

Unrec???? Fuck 'em!

[GentryDixon]

7. Sounds like the old

CCC or Civilian Conservation Corps.

That would be a good thing. It would put people back to work at much less than contracting.

[leftstreet]

10. The CCC fought in the Middle East? This I didn't know n/t

[GentryDixon]

16. Of course not,

But you do have contractors over there that could be paid directly by the Government versus paying a contractor. You get rid of the contractor and the employee would probably make more than they are now making, as the profit margin is not an issue.

My nephew is on his third tour working for a contractor.

[Roon]

37. My Grandfather was in the CCC when he was a kid during the depression

The center where I attended job corps is an old CCC camp. They still had the little cabins and everything. (used for storage now)

[Echo In Light]

8. Creepy Big Bro INFRAGARD?

[Solly Mack]

9. Here...

http://www.state.gov/s/crs/civilianresponsecorps/index.htm


Bush Calls for Civilian Reserve Corps
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7004939

A Civilian Partner for Our Troops
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/16/AR2007121601560.html

[Hekate]

11. That's Corps, not corporation. Google is your friend. ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilian_Reserve_Corps

The creation of a Civilian Reserve Corps was called for in both the 2006 National Security Strategy <1> and in the 2007 State of the Union Address. It would give people across America who do not wear the uniform a chance to serve in the defining struggle of our time."<2>
In a twist to the usual State Department-Pentagon rivalry, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has become the program's most outspoken advocate. "The Department of Defense has taken on many … burdens that might have been assumed by civilian agencies in the past… done an admirable job…but it is no replacement for the real thing - civilian involvement and expertise… Funding for non-military foreign-affairs programs…remains disproportionately small relative to what we spend on the military… Secretary Rice has asked for a budget increase for the State Department and an expansion of the Foreign Service. The need is real… What is clear to me is that there is a need for a dramatic increase in spending on the civilian instruments of national security - diplomacy, strategic communications, foreign assistance, civic action, and economic reconstruction and development… W, having robust civilian capabilities available could make it less likely that military force will have to be used in the first place, as local problems might be dealt with before they become crises." <3>
See also
Americorps
Peace Corps

http://www.crs.state.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=public.display&shortcut=4B5C

Reserve Component, Civilian Response Corps

"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. And it would give people across America who do not wear the uniform a chance to serve in the defining struggle of our time."

– President Bush’s State of the Union Address, January 23, 2007

In both the 2006 National Security Strategy and the 2007 State of the Union address, the Administration has proposed the creation of a civilian equivalent of the military reserves in order to help fill the serious gap in the U.S. Government’s civilian Reconstruction and Stabilization (R&S) capacity. The Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR), the RAND Corporation, the Defense Science Board, and other experts have also strongly recommended the creation of such an organization. Recent efforts to field civilian personnel for missions in Iraq and Afghanistan have shown the need to create a pre-selected, trained, and prepared expert civilian corps, ready to go when called, and to function as U.S. Government (USG) personnel when deployed. This capacity is important to meet the growing demand for technical expertise to answer R&S needs.

In responding to this need, the State Department is leading an interagency effort to establish a standing U.S. civilian response capacity. The core of this capacity will be the Civilian Response Corps (CRC), which will have Active, Standby, and Reserve Components. In its budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2009, the Administration has requested $248.6 million for this purpose through the Civilian Stabilization Initiative.

If authorized and funded by Congress, the Reserve Component of the CRC will draw upon civilians outside the United States Government with critical skills either absent in the federal workforce, or present in insufficient numbers. Civilian Reservists will apply their expertise in public administration, justice and security, transitional economics and governance, energy, transportation, public affairs, education, health care, and other sectors to provide effective and informed R&S assistance. They will advise, mentor, and strengthen host-government capacity to govern and rebuild conflict and post-conflict states and put them on a sustainable path toward peace, democracy, and economic growth.

The USG, UN, and other international organizations, think tanks, and NGOs have identified a number of countries as being at imminent risk of falling into conflict and disarray. These crises may erupt suddenly, posing a number of stabilization challenges, particularly in the areas of peace and security, delivery of essential services, and effective governance. In cases in which U.S. national security interests are at stake, the U.S. government needs to be prepared to respond quickly.

Civilian Reservists will be hired by the Department of State (DOS) as General Schedule, intermittent employees and provided the same scope of benefits as deployed DOS employees (life insurance, health insurance, disability, post-differentials, hardship/danger pay, leave accumulation, etc). Civilian Reservists will earn their salary and benefits only when training or deployed. In order to qualify for the Reserve Component, applicants must be U.S. citizens, and obtain a Secret Level security clearance and medical clearance; more senior level Reservists will also require a Top Secret Level clearance.

Civilian Reservists will enter into an agreement with the Department of State to serve for 4 years, during which time they will be expected to deploy for one year. They will be given the option to end their service upon returning from their one year deployment or to extend their service for another 4 years, if they performed at a satisfactory level. Upon entering the Reserve Component, they will be required to attend 2-3 weeks of orientation training, and will receive 10-15 days of pre-deployment training prior to each deployment. In addition, they must attend 5-10 days of annual training throughout their service. Refusal to deploy or to attend mandatory training will result in their removal from the CRC and they will be required to repay the government for the full cost of their training, including related travel, lodging, pay, and per-diem.

The Civilian Response Operations Division of the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization (S/CRS) will support the recruitment, hiring, training, equipping, administration, management, and deployment of Civilian Reservists.

Gives Americans a Unique Opportunity to Serve &c

Facilitates the Transition from U.S. Troops to Trained Civilian Experts &c

Expands International Pool of Deployable Civilian Experts
Many countries and international organizations have mechanisms to tap civilian expertise. Examples include the UK’s Stabilisation Unit, Canada’s CANADEM, the Australian Federal Police Force, the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the European Union, NATO, and others.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[NoNothing]

12. Not a "corp," a "corps."

And NOT a "corpse"

[Greyhound]

13. The Capos that will help enforce in "Work Camp America". n/t

[dionysus]

45. ROFL... don't worry, dennis will fly down on his magic unicorn and liberate your imaginary

concentration camps with pixie dust.

[Greyhound]

47. Of course, because if America is lacking for anything, it's militarism.

Your ad hominem might get a rise if you weren't such a parody.
:rofl:

[dionysus]

48. i'm not the loon imagining forced labor camps here. but you fit right in with dennis...

:rofl: indeed

[Oregone]

14. In regards to what?

[dixiegrrrrl]

17. She was talking in context of reducing "private contractor" expenses

instead using this Corps.

[leftstreet]

20. Wait...what? They want us to VOLUNTEER to work for Halliburton(s)?

FFS

[Xithras]

23. LOL! No, the idea is to cut Halliburton out entirely.

I.E., you'll see a job ad like this in your local paper: "Large government entity seeking skilled carpenters for 6-12 month employment in overseas contruction programs. Pay DOE. Must be willing to work in potentially hazardous areas."

When you apply, you'll find out that it's the Army looking for private workers to build base buildings in Iraq or Afghanistan. You'd be a civilian employee working directly for the military (or, potentially, any other government agency that had a need for this sort of "temporary skilled worker").

[Oregone]

22. Where? Like in Iraq and Afghanistan? Or domestically?

Because if its abroad, there are a lot of unemployed dudes who would put down rifles and pick up hammers if ever given the chance. Plus, itd be rather cheap

[Marr]

18. How about we just stop occupying those countries altogether?

I'm all for government jobs programs, but I'd rather see the labor devoted to things we actually need, instead of masturbatory War Industry bullshit.

[kestrel91316]

33. So we shouldn't work to rebuild what WE broke???

Picking up after war is a legitimate government function. Indeed, it's a sacred duty.

If you don't get it, read up on what was done to Germany after WW I and how it led directly to WW II.

[Marr]

46. Afghanistan is not comparable to Post-War Germany.

And neither is Iraq, for that matter. Post-war Germany was not a warzone.

If you want to help either of those countries, you're not going to do it with a military occupation. The only reason that tack is continuing is because it's a direct siphon of tax dollars to our various war industries.

As a means of pinching the siphon a bit, this approach is fine. But that's about it.

[Xithras]

19. "Corps" not corp. Here's a simple explanation of the actual program:

Not a corporation.

The idea of the Civilian Reserve Corps was simple. The U.S. government hires civilians as employees to perform tasks previously handled by the military. Things like cooking food for the Army, which was once handled by soldiers themselves, is now handled by outsourced private corporations. The idea of the CRC was that the Army could instead directly hire American workers, transport them to those war zones, and allow them to serve without the middleman of a private contractor. The CRC would also allow the government to hire large numbers of civilians in a national emergency who would essentially work for the government, but wouldn't be directly employed by any agency and wouldn't be conscripted.

Essentially, it's a national "be a government temp" program. The idea has its upsides and its downsides, and nobody has really ever defined what the limits of their use would be...which does make some people nervous. I have NO problem hiring civilians to get contractors like Halliburton out of the military for service positions. On the other hand, I DO have a HUGE problem with the idea that the government could essentially hire its own mercenaries for combat positions. Currently, there are no limitations on either possibility.

[dixiegrrrrl]

21. I like your explanation, both pros and cons.

Hiring civilians to be in a war zone, huh?

That gives me the ooggies.

but, given the current employment problems, I can see how some people would see this a a good thing.

Still.......

[Xithras]

29. I have no problem with noncombat civilians in a war zone, if they're answerable to the govt.

The problem with the current crop of civilian contractors is that they're present under the direction of their private employers, many of whom are based outside of the U.S., and aren't directly under the responsibility of the military. When they misbehave, this severely limits our options on punishing them. By replacing them with civilian employees directly managed by the government, those employees fall under the authority of our government and laws. When they misbehave, they can be tried in U.S. courts, imprisoned, or at the very least be fired for their actions. It adds a level of accountability that simply doesn't exist today.

[kestrel91316]

39. Civilians are ALREADY working in a war zone in Iraq. Sheesh.

This just cuts out the cream-skimming corporate middleman.

I wouldn't be surprised if the military in the US hires more civilians than it has members. Of course, growing up in the military I was fully aware of how many civilian military employees there were in the neighborhoods where we lived.

This would pretty much put things back to the status quo before Blackwater and Halliburton got so bloated and influential.

[Oregone]

24. Is it responsible and ethical to put civilians into war zones?

Especially if it may be those desparate and down on their luck enough to think its a good idea? :)

But certainly less bloat there.

[dixiegrrrrl]

31. Blackwater and other contractors are civilians...soooo

Ethical and responsible do not seem to be the words that come to forefront in government anymore.

[Oregone]

34. Hm...they seem inherently unethical though, but residual

And, well, I care little for some of those guys who signed their name on the dotted line to kill for money and profit. Shame on me.


But a civilian cook is just a person (but I guess Halliburton just hires people too).


Its an odd quandary. Seems like civilians could end up with PTSD and its unethical to expose them to that. But its happening anyway and profits are made off of it.


Did the army ever have their own cooks? Their own engineers?


Why can't local people living there do these jobs? Are they more untrustworthy than a domestic tea-bagger who signs up?

[dixiegrrrrl]

43. Did the army ever have their own cooks? Their own engineers?

Yes....the military used to do all the jobs that we hire contractors to do now.
And it was cheaper, since the military pay rate was not bloated like no bid contracts are.
Then came the big push to "privatize" ( called for-profit) jobs, costs went up, accountability
went down.
I hope I am hearing some rumblings in DC about the downside of all this contracting.

[Xithras]

32. Is it any less ethical that putting the "enemies" civilians into a war zone?

If we're willing to allow Iraqi and Afghani children to grow up in a war zone, there shouldn't be any ethical qualms about allowing consenting American civilians to assume the same risks.

To be clear, my real position is that NOBODY should be in that position on ANY side, but if we're going to be there, I'd rather have the civilians under the control of our government rather than under the control of a private corporation. The BEST solution remains, and will always remain, the complete abolishment of all war zones everywhere, making the whole discussion moot.

[Oregone]

38. True...I mean, fuck it, the ethical argument shouldn't even come to mind

My only concern is that if local civilians could do these jobs, it would provide employment and resources for the local community and help the war effort. It would cost less all around and could potentially be a positive force in their lives.

Of course, we shouldn't be there in the first place, so, whatever. Its an odd road being traveled.

[kestrel91316]

40. Well, it's hardly a "war zone" right now. It's occupied territory.

And once Blackwater and Halliburton and such get the heave-ho, and the military decreases its numbers, You can safely assume it will resemble a war zone even less.

No one is forcing anyone to do this. Why do you have such a paternalistic attitude toward people who WANT TO WORK and WANT TO EAT?

[Oregone]

41. If find it sad that people must go to such extremes these days to simple work and eat

Not a good sign.

[kestrel91316]

42. Oh, for pity's sake. Jobs involving risk of injury or death are nothing new

at all to workers in America or anywhere else for that matter. Just ask a fricking coal miner or steelworker. MY OWN JOB carries with it a not insubstantial daily risk of career-altering injury or even death as a normal risk of doing my job.

And no, I am not exaggerating. Rabies, pneumonic plague, and a host of other hideous ways to die are part of my daily list of possibilities.

You can stay in whatever safe, bland, fancy fingernailed and silk stockinged office job you have. The rest of us ADULTS are out there in the real world.

[Oregone]

44. I guess that is true

My connotations of war are probably exacerbating my view on these jobs, which may be no more dangerous than roofing a home. Of course, when you roof a home, you are not directly aiding an occupation that brings attrocities upon others in their own land (other than you tax share).

Just because I have a cushy job doesn't mean I'm not an adult. It just means I won certain lotteries in life and had some different experiences

[Renew Deal]

36. Maybe its corpse not corps?

:shrug:

[meegbear]

25. It's EE-VILLE! EE-VILLE I tells yahs!!1!

[geardaddy]

26. Red Guard, American style?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Guards_(China)

[leftofcool]

27. Has Glen Beck approved this?

[timeforpeace]

28. The first rule of Civilian Reserve Corp is...

you know the rest.