crewdawg

There are plenty of ways to get out if needed. But most enlistments are four years...if with almost a year of that being training. I can't see how you can shorten the commitment all that much. If they did, training costs would skyrocket!

smugglersblues

We need to re-instate the draft--we try to do too much with to little-- (people). Ya I know---bring back the draft ? are you nuts ? No, just realistic. Ok I know- " people won't stand for it" Well if that's the case--what's the point anyway ?

Grumble

The last person I want next to me in combat, is a guy that doesn't want to be there and dosen't give a flip about mission success.

NoBeta

SAD!!! I don't like this at all. Too bad our best and brightest have to take orders from political morons.

smugglersblues

That's a very tired worn-out excuse, and if that's the real reason then we have a big problem.

727C47

the draft is necessary,a political minefield,neither party will touch it, but its still necessary, we are burning these kids up with deployment,after deployment.

Marvin

Regarding the "reinstate the draft" topic drift:

To start with, read this: http://www.edtrust.org/sites/edtrust...es/ASVAB_4.pdf

It is current (2010) and demonstrates how a large percentage of high school kids cannot pass entry requirements for the military. Keep in mind a couple things:

1. The article is looking at academic qualifications for entrance into the US Army. Minimum ASVAB score for the Army is 31 -- for the Air Force it is 40, Navy is 35, Marines is 32, and Coast Guard is 45, so an even higher number (not mentioned in the article) would be ineligible for the other services.

2. Ref. point 1 above, the article does not include those who are ineligible due to legal issues and physical fitness (or failure to graduate). According to a survey conducted by the Levin Group in 2005 (not available online) for the U.S. Army Center for Accessions Research, "75% of young Americans are ineligible to serve their country because they have either failed to graduate high school, engaged in criminal activity, or are physically or mentally unfit." Here's an additional source for the same info: New Report Says 75 Percent of Young Americans Unfit for Military Service - FoxNews.com

3. The ASVAB is not used only for entrance, it is also used for classification. Those who meet the mins are more often than not rejected in favor of others with higher scores. The military has lots of jobs with high tech requirements, so you need kids who can handle those technical jobs.

Currently, the military is able to meet its recruiting goals with an all volunteer force. If you want to increase the size of the military (and increase the DoD budget to support it) while decreasing the quality (some would say quantity has a quality all its own), then maybe you need a draft.

Otherwise, a draft is a waste of time -- most of those drafted would be rejected out of hand anyway.

Back on topic:

Now, maybe we can get the thread back on topic ... suicides by anyone are tragic, and the military needs to do everything possible to address the issue. Here are the current numbers:

"...(T)he army suicide rate is at a record 20.2 per 100,000, exceeding the national average of 19.2 ..."

So, not to minimize the problem, but -- there is currently 1 more person per 100,000 committing suicide in the military versus the general population. Certainly tragic, but I think not "statistically meaningful". When I say "not statistically meaningful" I am NOT saying that it is not tragic, nor am I saying it is no big deal ... it is a HUGE deal. But we also must keep the problem in perspective.

The military must do everything possible to minimize the pressure on military members and their families, but we must also realize that the military is a microcosm of the society from which it is created.

Elvis90

Incompetence and delays at the VA are a source of stress for those seeking treatment.

Returning vets encounter VA mental health meltdown - Health - Health care - msnbc.com

Flying Low

again:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/us...&emc=tha2gain:

Billy Pilgrim

I am not for the draft.

However, I am 100% certain we would not be in Afghanistan for 10+ years if we were drafting people to go.