McChrystal: Time to bring back the draft

[Jetdawgg]

Foreign Policy Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the former top commander of international forces in Afghanistan, said this week that the United States should bring back the draft if it ever goes to war again.

“I think we ought to have a draft. I think if a nation goes to war, it shouldn’t be solely be represented by a professional force, because it gets to be unrepresentative of the population,” McChrystal said at a late-night event June 29 at the 2012 Aspen Ideas Festival. “I think if a nation goes to war, every town, every city needs to be at risk. You make that decision and everybody has skin in the game.”

He argued that the burdens of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan haven’t been properly shared across the U.S. population, and emphasized that the U.S. military could train draftees so that there wouldn’t be a loss of effectiveness in the war effort.



“I’ve enjoyed the benefits of a professional service, but I think we’d be better if we actually went to a draft these days,” he said. “There would some loss of professionalism, but for the nation it would be a better course.”

The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq placed unfair and extreme burdens on the professional military, especially reservists, and their families, McChrystal said.

“We’ve never done that in the United State before; we’ve never fought an extended war with an all- volunteer military. So what it means is you’ve got a very small population that you’re going to and you’re going to it over and over again,” he said. “Because it’s less than one percent of the population… people are very supportive but they don’t have the same connection to it.”

Reservists following multiple deployments have trouble maintaining careers and families and have a “frighteningly high” rate of suicide, he said.

“The reserve structure is designed for major war, you fight and then you stop, but what we’ve done instead is gone back over and over to the same people,” he said. “We’re going to have to relook the whole model because I don’t think we can do this again.”

McChrystal was speaking at a panel focused on how to manage marriage in the military. He was joined by Annie, his wife of 35 years, and the discussion was moderated by CNN’s SuzanneMalveaux.

Multiple deployments often result in divorces and split families, he said.

“The marriages I see most strained are the senior NCOs and officers who have four or five tours… you’re apart so much that it’s hard to have a marriage if you’re not together at least a critical mass of time, and that’s tough,” McChrystal said.

Malveaux asked McChrystal how he has managed to get through 35 years of marriage.

“One day at a time,” he responded.

http://fromthetrenchesworldreport.co...e-draft/17260/

[AlwaysGreenAlwaysWhite]

I understand what he's saying and partially agree... However, in this era, I think it is impossible to accomplish... There's simply too much PC to ever have it happen.

[Warfish]

I do not agree.

I do agree.



If the problem is a short-term, immediate response, millitary (i.e. blow stuff up) problem, then I disagree with him. The professional standing force should handle it. No draft.

If the problem is a War. A real War, i.e. we and another Nation State are going to go after it over something, then I agree with him. The Professional force should be sent in first, and the Draft restarted to provide reserve troops and time-out-of-field for the first-line professional units.

The real problem is that neither Afghanistan nor Iraq were, strictly speaking, Wars.

They both had short "War" periods at their starts, but the War was over quickly in both cases. We won, hands down, by the way, in both Wars.

What the two situations are are long-term Occupation and Rebuilding Peace keeping/Police actions. Thats not War. It may involve alot of the same kinds of activity (shoot, kill, get shot, die, etc.) but it is NOT War. It's a hubrid of riot control, policework, occupation force (millitary) and civil rebuilding efforts.

It's having/finding/creating a force to handle that amalgum of requirements that is the problem. The Millitary, and certainly not private contractors, are not the answer (at least not alone).

The Draft, i.e. sending random kid-off-street to Iraq or Afgahnistan would have been much worse in results, with many more dead and wounded that we already have. It MIGHT have helped end these actions faster, but that assumes you think our Political leaders care about the will of the people.

If you ask me, the real problem is mixing War with heart-warming lets be pals lets rebuild ya and give ya democracy our way style heart-n'minds instead of bullets and destruction. When you go to war, you go to war. You destory the enemy completely, liberal ideas of waging a "kind" war be damned.

And once all enemies are dead or surrendered, only then do you offer to help rebuild, under strict police control in every way, and slowly give them back their rights and the like.

We tried to do both at once, and the results speak for themselves.

[cr726]

Originally Posted by AlwaysGreenAlwaysWhite

I understand what he's saying and partially agree... However, in this era, I think it is impossible to accomplish... There's simply too much PC to ever have it happen.

Really? Too PC to ask Americans to fight for their country?

[Jungle Shift Jet]

Volunteers, in general, make better soldiers. Anyone in and out of the services knows that.

Change the ROE to completely obliterate enemies without remorse then lib dopes won't have to float these stupid ideas to their friends in the media for other lib dopes to parrot.

[cr726]

Originally Posted by Jungle Shift Jet

Volunteers, in general, make better soldiers. Anyone in and out of the services knows that.

Change the ROE to completely obliterate enemies without remorse then lib dopes won't have to float these stupid ideas to their friends in the media for other lib dopes to parrot.

Having our country citizens accepting responsibility for our wars is a bad thing. I volunteered, I understand what sacrifices are made on a daily basis.

[Warfish]

Originally Posted by cr726

Having our country citizens accepting responsibility for our wars is a bad thing. I volunteered, I understand what sacrifices are made on a daily basis.

Remind me, it's been a while. You were a Marine were you not? Served in Afganistan, but not Iraq?

Or am I thinking somone else?

[cr726]

Originally Posted by Warfish

Remind me, it's been a while. You were a Marine were you not? Served in Afganistan, but not Iraq?

Or am I thinking somone else?

Marine, luckily I served during peace time in the 90's.

[Warfish]

Originally Posted by cr726

Marine, luckily I served during peace time in the 90's.

Ah, gotcha.

Forgive me, occasionally hard to keep ten years of posts and people strait.

[acepepe]

I agree 25% of the yoof should be drafted. NO exceptions. Lottery style.

[WestCoastOffensive]

This has to be a "shot over the bow" aimed at the Executive Branch and their "hands on" approach to starting/planning wars.

WASHINGTON — The White House, pushing hard against criticism in Congress over the deepening air war in Libya, asserted Wednesday that President Obama had the authority to continue the military campaign without Congressional approval because American involvement fell short of full-blown hostilities.

[Jetdawgg]

He is right. When it is time for America to go to war let's institute the Draft. Everyone should share to keep us safe

[piney]

Originally Posted by Warfish

If the problem is a War. A real War, i.e. we and another Nation State are going to go after it over something, then I agree with him. The Professional force should be sent in first, and the Draft restarted to provide reserve troops and time-out-of-field for the first-line professional units.

I wonder if we would ever see a large scale war again, our military might is so great that would a real offensive ever match say WWII in size and scope?

Our warfare technology has advanced so much I wonder if we would ever see a real war of that ilk ever again.

We lost what, 400,000 in WWII, 60,000 in Viet Nam and about 7,000 in the current "war on terror" (Iraq/Afghanistan). Could we ever see a prolonged military offensive we would even approach the numbers for WWII or Viet Nam that a draft would be required?

[Jetdawgg]

Originally Posted by piney

I wonder if we would ever see a large scale war again, our military might is so great that would a real offensive ever match say WWII in size and scope?

Our warfare technology has advanced so much I wonder if we would ever see a real war of that ilk ever again.

We lost what, 400,000 in WWII, 60,000 in Viet Nam and about 7,000 in the current "war on terror" (Iraq/Afghanistan). Could we ever see a prolonged military offensive we would even approach the numbers for WWII or Viet Nam that a draft would be required?

A Full Rundown Of China's Military Might

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-c...all-of-china-1

[piney]

Originally Posted by Jetdawgg

A Full Rundown Of China's Military Might

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-c...all-of-china-1

what is the likelihood of a prolonged land war with China? I don't think that is very possible.

[Jetdawgg]

China will start as Naval and Air battle. Nearly all wars are won on the ground though.

If you were to view the link vice just posting, you would have found the links to Syria and Iran also.

[cr726]

Originally Posted by Jetdawgg

China will start as Naval and Air battle. Nearly all wars are won on the ground though.

If you were to view the link vice just posting, you would have found the links to Syria and Iran also.

China isn't going to attack the country who buys their junk, builds, manufactures there and owes them money. Only Dicky C and Wolfy would do such a thing.

[Jetdawgg]

Originally Posted by cr726

China isn't going to attack the country who buys their junk, builds, manufactures there and owes them money. Only Dicky C and Wolfy would do such a thing.

Not saying that China will START a war with us. I am saying that a war with China will start in the sea or air

[palmetto defender]

Originally Posted by Jetdawgg

He is right. When it is time for America to go to war let's institute the Draft. Everyone should share to keep us safe

Depends on the war. WII - we were totally unprepared and manpower short. That cajused a lot of dead Americans for the first 18 month.

An Army is better with drafted military people. Right now we are not getting high end people.

[Winstonbiggs]

Originally Posted by Jungle Shift Jet

Volunteers, in general, make better soldiers. Anyone in and out of the services knows that.

Change the ROE to completely obliterate enemies without remorse then lib dopes won't have to float these stupid ideas to their friends in the media for other lib dopes to parrot.

That's the trick isn't it? You want an army with no public conscience you need a mercenary army. You want to fight a war where the nations survival is at stake you need the public behind it with a clear stake in the battle.

You can’t have both a civilized society and a society that has a scorch the earth mentality without a clear understanding that civilized society is in the balance and needs to be suspended.