What do you thing would happen of the US military drafted?

hey

I didn't know where to put this topic but I figured this was the best place.

Anyway, anyone here, what do you think would happen to the US military if we had a draft right now? Like how long do you think it would take to deploy the drafted men? Would the military be too high tech for most people? In general, do you thing it would profit the US miltary to draft?

US military service here is a preferable, but anyone who has served, or is really into modern warfare would be good too.

If anyone wants to E-mail me, my adress is Nomar5Spaulding07@hotmail.com

Thanks

 

I think that the general public has enough high-tech gadgetry to mean that whatever gizmos they meet in military service can be adapted to without over-much fuss.

As for a draft - I rather think that public opinion would be so strongly against it that it would be repealed in short order.

 

I'm not so sure. I'm opposed to conscription however I suspect that if the circumstances were right that a majority of people in the US might be convinced to support a draft. It would probably take an attack on the US like 9/11 only worse. Maybe a nuclear detonation in a major city or something equally heinous.

 

I agree that in exceptional circumstances, then yes.
But if a draft was introduced right now, as the question asked...

 

Hey, I agree, most people in th US are pretty techno-savy now, but if I can't even get my digital camera to work right I'm guessing it might be a big step up into the cockpit of an F-22/F-15/JSF. I also think it would be a bing leap into an abrams. The regular infantry wouldn't really suffer that much, or alot of the enlisted spots where training in minimal anyway, but in area's like armor and airforce I'm thinking it would be a hard job for the military to handle, and I am betting the if we needed a draft, they would shorten training, which would bring proformance down.

As for public opinion, the republican party would be finished. If Bush drafted, he would be the last republican to see the inside of the oval office for a while. We also have the stinking Vietnam protesters, like my english teacher, who think that the most important things in life are protesting, and bringing people into the left wing extremes. (By the way, I'm not trying to be mean to nam vets, just the people like my teacher who don't know anything about anything and are taking over my state, aka Maine, and trying to ruin the things that America was founded on and made it great)


I didn't mean to rant. sorry. I have that problem.

 

If it were right now, I agree.
I don't agree that it would result in many recruits who are unsuitable for military training. Usually the reverse is true. With conscription one often gets a better cross section of society. I wouldn't worry about things like F-22 pilots since people in those type positions are virtually always volunteers or career professionals.

 

So if you protested against the war in Vietnam you don't know anything about anything, and it is exactly this war that made America great? :-?

After all, as we all know, America was founded on the principle that if there's a local conflict in some jungle-bound Asian country that involves communists, the US will intervene and spend years, billions of dollars and millions of lives trying to fight something that is inevitable.

I am not trying to get anyone into any left-wing extremes, but I would like you to recognize that there's a huge difference between opposing the war in Vietnam and being a hippy.

 

I think most draftees would be willing to go into the military. I do not think they would get into specialised jobs but rather put into combat positions such as infantry as that is where the demand for personnel would be greatest.

The draft is good for war time but I think it makes for a less viable military in peace time as the troops are not there by their own free will. When somebody is forced into doing a job, they usually do just enough to get by.

On the other hand, I think it would be a great idea to have a short term draft into the Reserves or National Guard. Term could be one or maybe two years. That would allow the draftee to get some training and a taste of military life but still be able to have a normal civilian job as well.

 

I wouldn't worry a bit. The US Armed Forces aren't about to draft a 44 year old diabetic with heart trouble!

Of course, if they would take me, I'd go.

 

I still carry my draft-card in my wallet. Selective service required me to register when I celebrated my 17th birthday.
I remember watching the draft-drawings--too young to be drawn--and my birthdate was always a low-number draw.
Fortunately the Vietnam War was drawing-down by the time I registered for the draft in '72. and I was college-bound and drew the deferrment.
It was not a popular time to be in uniform, but had my circumstances been different and I had been drafted, I would have served my country.
As it stands, I think Vietnam was a good conflict to miss.
Never say never again? I think the draft could be reinstated if the circumstances--ie. threat--was percieved as requiring this action. IF our nation was truly threatened with a direct invasion, I dare say we'd be meeting them on the beaches...

Tim

 

But who would invade our shores? No country on Earth has the sealift necessary to make a successful invasion possible.

 

CC:
I read an interesting novel--fiction of course--that documented a direct invasion of the Pacific and Gulf coasts by China. (This was after nuking Tel Aviv... and over-running most of Europe.)
China has made it clear they see Taiwan as a 'rogue-state' and will not rest until it is 'reunited' with the mainland. I think we would be foolish to underestimate China. Their financial power and influence in trade now is staggering. They would be a formidable enemy if a military confrontation developed. The book in question plays on the fact that we are unprepared for a conventional war with China, and if the conflict were to "go nuclear" then China would play that game too. Frightening.
The USA is sworn to assist and defend Taiwan if they are attacked by China. I hope such a series of events never comes to pass, but if we don't honor our commitments, our word is worth little to our allies.

Tim

 

I was a conscript.

I would even go a step further and say that you get a 'healthier' army as well, the armed forces profits from getting people who normally wouldn't do service.

 

But far more reluctant soldiers. I still prefer all-volunteer armed forces.

 

I might have a problem with conscription today.

Being a retired Marine, if things get bad enough that a draft is considered acceptable, I'd probably be recalled to active duty!!!

Granted, in a sense I wouldn't mind, but my wife and kids might be bothered by it. Not to mention the fact that getting back into shape would kick my ass!!!

 

corpcasselbury , have pity for patriotic 44y old diabetics , they can fill a
ditch as well as a scrawny 18 y

 

See Also: Volksturm, German

(written by an almost 45-yr old... )

 

See also: LDV / Home Guard, British

 

Ricky, I was going for more sarcastic humor than technical accuracy, but point duly noted. Still, the Home Guard was never truly put to the test like the Volkssturm was. A few pranged pilots just isn't quite the same as a US armored division, or a Red Army motorised rifle division!

 

why would drafted men not be able to use the equipment?

Surely most conscipts become generic grunts with nothing more complex than an M16 and a few grenades?

Remember military technology is always above the general level in the local population be it the boar war, WW1, WW2 or vietnam as most draftee's not from the more highly educated/rich

FNG