VFW: DoD Cuts Could Mean a Future Draft

[white cloud]

February 24, 2012
Military.com|by Bryant Jordan





The Veterans of Foreign Wars warns that the Defense Department’s reduced budget growth in the coming years could mean the end of the all-volunteer force and the return of the draft.

“A secure America needs a strong military … messing with military pay and benefits is a clear signal to the troops and their families that the budget is more important than people,” VFW national commander Richard DeNoyer said in a statement Thursday.

“That is going to seriously hurt recruiting and retention, and potentially end the all-volunteer force, because nobody wants to work for an ungrateful employer in a vocation as inherently dangerous as ours.”

The 2 million-member VFW issued a “legislative alert” and also published a message on Facebook to get its message out. The organization is asking its members and other supporters to let Congress know it needs to prevent budget changes that hurt quality of life for troops, their families, and future retirees.
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[regnaD kciN]

1. Irony alert...

...the VFW opposing the draft.

(No disrespect to the VFW, but I remember a time, forty-odd years ago, when anyone proposing an end to the draft -- whether they were of induction age or not -- would be denounced by the VFW and American Legion as commie traitors trying to deliver our nation into the clutches of the Soviet Union. How times have changed.)

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

2. Maybe the new VFW leadership is "young"

Most service members today never experienced a draft. They don't know what it's like to serve in a unit made up of a mix of draftees and "regular army". I think they've fallen for some propaganda about the superiority of an all-volunteer army.

This bozo (once a young draftee) didn't see any difference in capability, commitment, or attitude between "RA" and draftees. Only that we draftees had smaller "short-timer calendars" .

To be fair, most of the VFW rant seems aimed at any proposed reduction in benefits, and I agree with them on those important points.

[era veteran]

3. A no deferment draft would slow these war pigs down.

No prep school boys fighting in this Army. Share the wealth and the death rich people.

[white cloud]

4. Exactly

chickenhawks don't want to share in the death of many finest

[OPOS]

5. Not really

Had a Bn level S-4 who was a Multimillionaire and West Pointer, My Company commander was a Yalie and author.

[era veteran]

7. I generalized to much on that. I will clarify.

There will always be some rich families send their children to military schools. Being a staff officer has many 1% perks.
A service career is always an inroad into politics.
The cadre of an infantry or armor unit is not made up of any rich boys.

[OPOS]

8. clarifying

The S-4 was a Line platoon leader first, then the Scout platoons leader. He was the S-4 in Iraq, and then commanded A.co. Hardly a Staff Weinie.

My Company cdr had been a PL of Mortars, Line, Scouts, Anti Tank, before Co Cdr level. since has been the XO of a Bn and a Generals Aide. (His Dad was a full bird, his uncle a 3 star). He also graduated SERE school among his ORB quals. If all else failed when trying to determine if a box/carcass/garbage was an IED he would walk up to it alone to check it (we patroled at night) rather than send anyone lower ranking. He has since wrote another book for civvie side, wrote the Bn History, and a few magazine articles. This was in a Infantry Bn which Robert E. Lee gave them their nickname at Fredricksburg.

[OPOS]

6. A Draft isnt realistic today

Think about it...

Last time we had the draft a Private made $307.20 dollars a month. Today its $1491.00 a month, times that by 500K draftees needed.

Most of the bases used for Basic Training are closed, gone- Today you have Benning (Infantry OSUT, Tankers), Sill (Artillery OSUT), Jackson, Leonard Wood. Knox was closed to Basic recently. Slots for trainees are already full, ARNG units have to put recruits into the system almost a year before they can go to Basic.

Drill Sergeants- 2 per platoon takes almost a year to train, where do we get the sudden influx of experienced NCO's capable of being on the trail?
Cadre- besides Drills there's company staffing, supply, armsroom, NBC room, commo, clerks, drivers etc. that have to be assigned.
Ranges- training areas are at a premium right now, rifle ranges have to be scheduled and reserved 4 months out minimum on those bases still open. Range Cadre have to be found and trained up.
NIMBY- How many Civilian areas want Army ranges with Artillery, tank fire, rifle fire 24/7 nearby?
Weapons- the M4 M16A4's will wear out faster in BCT cycles so more are needed to provide a buffer.
Living Quarters- where do we house these new draftees for training and where do we house them after training when most bases already are maxed out?
Pay- as I mentioned earlier do we pay draftees less than volunteers?
Dependents- What about those men who are married get married, housing, schools for children, pay allowances all to be considered.
Length of Service- 2 years? 3? some MOS take almost a year of training.


Then you have the Political Hari Kiri for any Pol, Left or Right who tries to introduce it. Hell even Charlie Rangle didnt vote for his own draft reinstatement bill.