Mennonite Central Committee

Will There be a Military Draft?

by Titus Peachey

Articles and email warnings about a military draft appear regularly in our post 9/11 world. The reasons are easy to list. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan aren't going away. Instead, there is a steadily mounting toll of death and broken bodies. The strain on U.S. military forces, including the reserves and the National Guard is heavy. The President has used stop-loss orders to retain troops past their enlistment agreement. It is a difficult atmosphere in which to enlist new recruits, and some service branches may not meet their annual quotas.

Given these realities, many people predict a return to military conscription. Yet government and military officials have repeatedly and forcefully denied any desire to initiate a military draft. A few examples:

 

"I think the only people who could conceivably be talking about a draft are people who are speaking from pinnacles of near-perfect ignorance... The last thing we need is a draft. We just don't."

Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense¹

 

"America's all-volunteer military is the best in the world, and reinstating the draft would be bad policy. We have increased pay and benefits to ensure that our troops have the resources they need to fight and win the war on terror. I want every American to understand that, as long as I am President, there will be no draft."

President George W. Bush²

 

"The draft would be the Army's worst nightmare."

Lt. Col. Leonard Wong³

 

Government officials usually cite some version of the following reasons why they do not support a draft:

1. The All Volunteer Army is working. For over 30 years it has enlisted high-quality recruits who have performed well under difficult circumstances.
2. A draft would greatly increase military costs, but add little in terms of capability. Today's military requires highly skilled soldiers who can handle advanced weapon's systems. The All Volunteer Army trains personnel and retains their services over a period of eight years (active duty and reserves). A draft would have to support (house, feed, clothe, train) a large influx of relatively unskilled personnel, many of whom would leave after the required two years, providing little return on the military's investment.
3. The All Volunteer Army is made up of people who want to be there. A draft would bring thousands of people into the military who do not want to serve, creating morale and discipline problems.

Added to these arguments is polling data which suggests that nearly four out of five Americans oppose a return to the draft⁴, which would make it difficult to gain much political interest or support. At the height of the 2004 election campaign, congress voted down a draft bill that had been introduced by Representative Charles Rangel, by a vote of 402-2 (see: www.sss.gov). While this was clearly an act of partisan grandstanding during a presidential election, none of the recent bills related to a draft have gained any support or enthusiasm in congress.

There are, however, other voices and indicators that a draft may be necessary.

1. Arguments about overall troop strength continue to persist. Before the Iraq war, former Army Chief of Staff, General Eric Shinseki projected that several hundred thousand soldiers would be required in Iraq following major combat⁵. Senator John McCain, and retired generals Wesley Clark and Barry McCaffrey have all called for an increase in the number of troops. There are some experts who believe that a long-term war on terror will require more troops and a draft to conscript them⁶.

Indeed the military has had to rely on reserve forces in unprecedented numbers in order to maintain the required number of troops in Iraq. Widespread and long-term use of reserve forces puts an added strain on families, employers, and on local responses to natural disasters. In addition, President Bush has used Stop-Loss orders⁷ to keep some 40,000 troops in the military beyond the end of their enlistment. In effect, Stop-Loss is a form of conscription since it keeps soldiers in the military involuntarily.

Since recruitment goals in some of the military branches are not being met, the Pentagon has also lowered some admission standards, increased the allowable enlistment age, and increased enlistment bonuses. In order to prepare more troops more quickly, many enlistees in the Delayed Entry Program are being rushed to boot camp rather than waiting the usual number of months before reporting.⁸

These are all signs that current troop strength is not adequate to the task demanded by the U.S. projection of power and the war on terror. Some believe that the strain on the system will cause such great difficulty that a draft is inevitable.

2. There are continuing concerns that the burden of military service is not equally shared in the All Volunteer Army. Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY) has repeatedly made the charge that it is the disadvantaged who are drawn into the military because they have few other options. Rep. Rangel has introduced draft legislation in order to share the burden more equitably.⁹ Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NB) shares this concern, noting: "Should we continue to burden the middle class who represents most all of our soldiers, and the lower middle class... burden them with the fighting and the dying if in fact this is a generational—probably 25-year war?¹⁰

These leaders believe a draft would spread the burden to all sectors of society so that the children of the wealthy would serve alongside those from areas of poverty.

3. Others have argued for a draft quite apart from the current crisis because of a perceived widening gap between the military and civilian society.¹¹ This gap is in part a result of the All Volunteer Army which allows the burden of defense to be borne by relatively few, while the majority grow up without a clear sense of duty or responsibility to country. A universal draft that requires service from everyone would help to close this gap.

If conscription does happen there are a variety of options for its shape and form.

1. There may be a special skills draft that would conscript certain categories of medical personnel, language or computer experts. To date, the Selective Service has prepared plans for a medical skills draft.¹²
2. Compulsory national service would be another option. This would require all young people (men and women) to serve either in the military or with a civilian agency such as AmeriCorps or the Peace Corps.

A recent article in the Washington Post (August 2, 2005) alerts readers to a new development in military recruitment which may lead to this option in the future. The National Call to Service Program allows new recruits to combine active military duty, reserve duty, and service with AmeriCorps or Peace Corps to fulfill their eight year enlistment agreement.¹³ This option is voluntary, of course, but it may mirror one of the options in a future compulsory national service program.

3. A traditional military draft would require two years of military service for young men. Current draft guidelines as prepared by Selective Service do not provide for college exemptions as in the past. See http://www.sss.gov/viet.htm.

There is no clear answer to this question about a draft. Much depends on developments in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations where US troops are engaged. It is also possible that another terrorist attack on U.S. soil would quickly change the political climate in favor of conscription.

As followers of Jesus who led a life of joyful service to others, it is important for us to remember that a military draft should neither determine or define our service. We serve out of love and gratitude to God. We do not wait for government to tell us to serve others. Nor do we rely on government to tell us whom to serve. So while it is important to be prepared in the event of a draft, we have deeper reasons for service. We love, serve, learn and receive from others without regard to national boundaries. We love our enemies. We also love, serve, learn and receive within our own communities. We love our neighbors. We love and serve for a lifetime. Service is the lifestyle of all who follow Jesus.

At the individual level, young people (men and women) can prepare themselves for the possibility of a draft by creating a file of their own beliefs and activities related to peace and service. The resources below will be helpful.

At the congregational level, Christian education leaders, pastors and youth sponsors can develop a plan for inter-generational conversation and learning about Christ's way of peace and service.

Ultimately, as followers of Jesus, our concern extends far beyond ourselves. Our goal is not simply to have a safe place to be and to serve in the event of war and military conscription. We want our lives to help remove the causes of war. We want the nations of our world to put aside their war making and build relationships based on justice, generosity, and peace. May our lives always witness to Jesus' way of peace in our homes and congregations, in our communities and international relationships. Let our testimony grow and become strong so that military conscription becomes obsolete.

 

 

Resources

 

 

Footnotes

1. As quoted in CNN News, Paul Courson, April 27, 2005, reporting on a Senate hearing.
   http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/04/27/pentagon.budget/
2. As quoted in a press release from the White House, October 5, 2004.
   http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/10/20041005-6.html
3. Lt. Col. Leonard Wong, research professor at the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle, PA, as quoted in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, May 24, 2004.
   http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04145/321235.stm
4. ABC News, "Poll: Voters Concerned with Flu Vaccine and Draft", analysis by Gary Langer.
   http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/PollVault/story?id=182524
5. CNN News, Paul Courson.
   http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/04/27/pentagon.budget
6. See also, "Scowcroft Skeptical Vote Will Stabilize Iraq", by Dana Priest and Robin Wright, Washington Post, January 7, 2005, p. A12.
   http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54680-2005Jan6.html
7. http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010914-5.html
   http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=393291
   http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/blarstoploss.htm
8. "All Volunteer Army Shows Signs of Wear," by Lawrence J. Korb, Atlanta Journal- Constitution, February 27, 2005.
   http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=393291
9. http://www.americanfreepress.net/html/resurrect_draft.html
   For more comment on Rangel's bill, see: http://www.nisbco.org/UAA/06012005.htm
10. Senator Hagel as quoted in "Pentagon can't seem to kill idea of military draft," USA Today, 6/1/04.
    http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-06-01-military-draft_x.htm
11. Sharp Divergence Found in Views of Military and Civilians, by Adam Clymer, New York times, September 9, 1999, p. A15.
12. http://www.sss.gov/FSmedical.htm
13. "Peace Corps Options for Military Recruits Sparks Concerns", by Alan Cooperman, Washington Post, August 2, 2005, p. A11.