# reinstatement of the draft?



## dakotajo (Aug 10, 2004)

During all this political bullshit, there seems to be alot of talk about the draft . Think it will ever happen?


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## peacedove (Aug 15, 2004)

Yes... but they won't call it the draft... Bush will call it something else and it will be slightly different from the draft so he won't look like a liar so people will still vote for him. I don't know...


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## Dreamer (Aug 9, 2004)

I googled "draft reinstatement" and found this statement that someone else mentioned in another post.

H.R. 163 was defeated in the House of Representatives by a vote of 402 to 2 on Tuesday, October 5, 2004. Mr. Walsh recorded a "no" vote.

i.e. *Democratic sponsored bills to reinstate the draft were voted down 402 to 2 in the House of Representatives.*
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*News Release from Congressman Jim Walsh
25th District, New York*

FOR YOUR INFORMATION
October 6, 2004
CONTACT: Dan Gage at 315-423-5657

*WALSH STATEMENT ON DRAFT REINSTITUTION BILL
INTRODUCED BY DEMOCRATS*

*Washington, D.C. - I am opposed to the reinstitution of the draft, as are the overwhelming majority of my colleagues in the United States Congress.*

The U.S. Armed Forces are the best trained, best equipped fighting forces in the world. They are blessed with a tremendous espirit de corps and are comprised of soldiers of the highest caliber. Our existing volunteer army works quite well in conjunction with the Selective Service System, even during our current efforts in the War on Terror.

*These Democrat-sponsored House and Senate bills to reinstatement the draft are nothing short of fear mongering introduced to spread misinformation and negatively influence this fall's election process through myth and rumor.

New Yorkers should know that no one in the Administration, at the Department of Defense, or at the Selective Service System is advocating the reinstatement of the mandatory draft in any form. Any proposal to do so would require Congressional approval, and yesterday's vote will strongly demonstrate that a Republican-led Congress will not support what Democrats have proposed.*

END

*Note - H.R. 163 was defeated in the House of Representatives by a vote of 402 to 2 on Tuesday, October 5, 2004. Mr. Walsh recorded a "no" vote.*

Best,
D


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## Dreamer (Aug 9, 2004)

This is from back in March. The "Special Skills Draft" ... I have to study this further, as I really don't understand it, and all of its implications. I think dalailama posted this also.

It seems this is something related to rebuilding Iraq, something we didn't plan well for. Rumsfeld's fault as I understand it ... in great part.
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*Computer experts, foreign language specialists lead list of military's needs 
- Eric Rosenberg, Hearst Newspapers
Saturday, March 13, 2004*

Washington -- The government is taking the first steps toward a targeted military draft of Americans with special skills in computers and foreign languages.

The Selective Service System has begun the process of creating the procedures and policies to conduct such a targeted draft in case military officials ask Congress to authorize it and the lawmakers agree to such a request.

Richard Flahavan, a spokesman for the Selective Service System, said planning for a possible draft of linguists and computer experts had begun last fall after Pentagon personnel officials said the military needed more people with skills in those areas.

*"Talking to the manpower folks at the Department of Defense and others, what came up was that nobody foresees a need for a large conventional draft such as we had in Vietnam," Flahavan said. "But they thought that if we have any kind of a draft, it will probably be a special skills draft."

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has said he would not ask Congress to authorize a draft, and officials at the Selective Service System, the independent federal agency that would organize any conscription, stress that the possibility of a so-called "special skills draft" is likely far off.

A targeted registration and draft is "is strictly in the planning stage," said Flahavan, adding that "the whole thing is driven by what appears to be the more pressing and relevant need today" -- the deficit in language and computer experts.*

"We want to gear up and make sure we are capable of providing (those types of draftees) since that's the more likely need," the spokesman said, adding that it could take about two years to "to have all the kinks worked out. "

The agency already has in place a special system to register and draft health care personnel ages 20 to 44 in more than 60 specialties if necessary in a crisis. According to Flahavan, the agency will expand this system to be able to rapidly register and draft computer specialists and linguists, should the need ever arise. But he stressed that the agency had received no request from the Pentagon to do so.

*The issue of a renewed draft has gained attention because of concerns that U.S. military forces are over-extended. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist strikes, U.S. forces have fought two wars, established a major military presence in Afghanistan and Iraq and are now taking on peacekeeping duties in Haiti. But Congress, which would have to authorize a draft, has so far shown no interest in renewing the draft.*

*Legislation to reinstitute the draft, introduced by Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., has minimal support with only 13 House lawmakers signing on as co- sponsors. A corresponding bill in the Senate introduced by Sen. Fritz Hollings, D-S.C., has no co-sponsors.*

*The military draft ended in 1973 as the American commitment in Vietnam waned, beginning the era of the all-volunteer force. Mandatory registration for the draft was suspended in 1975 but resumed in 1980 by President Jimmy Carter after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. About 13.5 million men, ages 18 to 25, are registered with the Selective Service.*

But the military has had particular difficulty attracting and retaining language experts, especially people knowledgeable about Arabic and various Afghan dialects.

To address this need, the Army has a new pilot program underway to recruit Arabic speakers into the service's Ready Reserves. The service has signed up about 150 people into the training program.

A Pentagon official familiar with personnel issues stressed that the armed forces were against any form of conscription but acknowledged the groundwork already underway at the Selective Service System.

"We understand that Selective Service has been reviewing existing organizational mission statements to confirm their relevance for the future," the official said. "Some form of 'special skills' registration, not draft, has been a part of its review."

Page A - 3 
URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/03/13/MNG905K1BC1.DTL

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*?2004 San Francisco Chronicle*


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## dakotajo (Aug 10, 2004)

I think fear of a draft is real. I figure shortly after the next inevitable terrorist attack on US soil, bush will try to reinstate the draft. It will be all the excuse he will need to start pulling people to fight his ridiculous bullshit he calls a war. I think he would done it already if it werent for the fact that it makes him look incompetent and unprepared(which he is). I dont think he realized how large of a hornets nest he was stirring up and the fact that there will be no resolution any time soon. He thought he was going in with "shock and awe" and everybody was going to surrender. It didnt happen that way and things are only getting worse. What the hell else is he going to do? He has next to no support from foreign governments. It will take years and years for things to calm down and his military is spread dangerously thin. On top of it, for logical reasons, people arent reinlisting.


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