Military Draft System to be Tested
Associated Press December 22, 2006
WASHINGTON - The Selective Service System is planning a comprehensive test of the military draft machinery, which hasn't been run since 1998.
The agency is not gearing up for a draft, an agency official said Thursday. The test itself would not likely occur until 2009.
Meanwhile, the secretary for Veterans Affairs said that "society would benefit" if the U.S. were to bring back the draft and that it shouldn't have any loopholes for anyone who is called to serve. VA Secretary Jim Nicholson later issued a statement saying he does not support reinstituting a draft.
The Selective Service "readiness exercise" would test the system that randomly chooses draftees by birth date and the network of appeals boards that decide how to deal with conscientious objectors and others who want to delay reporting for duty, said Scott Campbell, Selective Service director for operations and chief information officer.
"We're kind of like a fire extinguisher. We sit on a shelf" until needed, Campbell said. "Everyone fears our machine for some reason. Our machine, unless the president and Congress get together and say, 'Turn the machine on' ... we're still on the shelf." ...Read more on Military.com
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4 comments:
None? Steve?
I have a lot to say about this, and I've been thinking about it since you posted it. But I've got a dozen things going on at once. I thought I'd comment on this tonight. I'm glad you posted this.
It's a few days old, so I figure the other blogs have already hit it somehow. I just wasn't ready to go there yet.
But yes, I thought of you as soon as I saw it in my mailbox. It was the headline that day on Military.com, but I didn't read it until this morning.
I read it on military.com, too. It's an issue that is going to pop up more frequently since the president says he's going to strengthen the Army and Marines. I don't know if you heard about it, but Donald Rumsfeld got into a lot of trouble with the Vietnam vets awhile back when he said some less than complimentary things about those who were drafted during Vietnam. The Vietnam veteran organizations were furious and demanded an apology.
I'll comment on this tonight. I know I'll step on toes, but like that poem said, "freedom isn't free."
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