...
The idea is further detached from reality by the fact that, under Bush or McCain administrations, a draft doesnÂ’t have a prayer. Under an Obama or Clinton administration, presumably it becomes unnecessary as they rapidly pull us out of Iraq and theoretically eliminate the need for a larger military.
But these people take themselves seriously, so it is only right we should consider their proposals with all the seriousness they deserve. There is after all a serious underlying problem, even if it isnÂ’t the problem they are trying to address.
What do we do about an overstressed military? Their rhetoric aside, it is becoming increasingly clear that neither Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton actually plan to pull out of Iraq with quite the rapidity theyÂ’ve suggested. As great a campaign selling point as abrupt abandonment is, they may privately realize how disastrous a pell-mell pulling up of stakes would be. John McCain, more realistically, expects us to be in Iraq for up to a century, much as weÂ’ve been in Germany, Japan and Korea for more than a half century now. All of that means we need troops.
...
There could be a quick and easy fix to all of that. It does require compromise, a little give and take. Sometimes the best answer is something that gives everyone a little of what they want. The draft could do it.
This would not be your grandfatherÂ’s draft, though. WeÂ’re talking about a draft that will bring the country together, not rip it apart.
Draft opponents note that we currently have the best military in the world. A highly professional, highly trained, high-tech volunteer force. The world has never seen anything like it. The last thing we want to do is bog it down with a bunch of reluctant whiny short-timers. The draft will have to be engineered to prevent the cure from killing the patient.
So here’s the deal. First off, no exemptions. At 18, it’s off to the draft. If you’re not physically fit for military service, then it’s off to the Work Corps. More on that later. For now, suffice it to say that jobs can be found for all. Those mentally unfit for military service — to include those who don’t want to be in the military — also go to the Work Corps, where appropriate tasks will be found for all.
Military draftees will serve two years. They will be limited to non-combat roles. They could help eliminate a lot of those Halliburton contracts that drive everyone crazy by performing the same cleanup, truck driving, and hash-slinging positions at or below minimum wage.
Those who do want serve their nation in combat may volunteer to do so, which will make them eligible for higher rates of pay, enlistment bonuses, and enhanced GI Bill benefits. They can in fact get the only kind of deferment this system offers, with scholarships in advance, by committing to military service upon completing college. In the case of some selected professions — doctors, nurses, engineers, accountants, various useful specialties — individuals can commit to four years of post-graduate government service and also enjoy government scholarships.
Women, presently barred from combat arms, can also enlist for the full range of opportunities and benefits they now enjoy in the military, some of which of course do include combat. Our military, in its key functions, can remain the highly trained, highly motivated professional force it has become in the 35 years since Vietnam.
While there may be some tensions in a two-tiered military, those professional soldiers can provide an inspiration for the draftees that may in fact encourage many of them to properly enlist and better their lot. With non-combat roles making up the bulk of any military, a draft of this sort could allow vast expansion. It will also restore the common national experience that an older generation remembers fondly, when everyone was a part of the same thing, and everyone did their bit.
Which brings us to the Work Corps.
Note the negative “work” connotation. This name may sound a little harsh and unappealing, particularly to those unacquainted with labor. It is intended to.
...
