THE DRAFT

From The Desk Of

Roy S. Alba II, USAF, Retired 
 RAlbaii@aol.com

Will enlisted swine recruiters face wrath for not enough recruits?
How to Pitch the Military When a War Drags On?, 9-25-05 ..."If we go into a draft this will be one of the biggest marketing failures ever, because it would mean the government, the military, the ad agencies and society had failed to provide a compelling rationale to serve," said Clarke L. Caywood, a public relations professor at Northwestern University and a Republican political consultant. "It would be saying that their whole message had failed, abjectly."....
 
Or is lack of recruits a sign of lack of confidence in Presidential leadership?
Army Names New Recruiting Head, 8-17-05...Maj. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick will take command of recruiting operations Oct. 12...Army recruiting has languished since the start of the Iraq war..."Things aren't looking good for the remainder of the year," Douglas Smith, a spokesman for the Army recruiting headquarters at Fort Knox, Ky., said...
 
 
Even the Navy Reserve can't get enough recruits!
Ranks thinning when more needed for terror war, vice admiral says, 9-25-05 ....recruiting for the Navy reserves has been a challenge that has only become harder since Sept. 11, 2001...half of the 77,000 reservists are deployed...the pool of potential reservists to draw from is shrinking at the same time standards for new recruits rises.....
 
 
Iraq tasked Pentagon sends more troops to our own coast...what will we do when war breaks out in the Pacific too?
Pentagon to deploy soldiers, mortuary teams, 9-24-05  The Pentagon on Saturday was sending about 500 active-duty soldiers to the areas of Louisiana hit by Hurricane Rita and said about 27,000 National Guardsmen were ready to respond in Texas and Louisiana....about 1,300 National Guard soldiers in Mississippi and others in Alabama and Florida were ready to move to area hit by Rita, if needed...
 
Everything is fine in military recruitment.....  Eligibility bar for military too high for youths, 9-23-05 ..."When you look at the demographics of the military, the pool is shrinking," said Derek Stewart, director for military and Defense Department civilian personnel issues...The total number of those ineligible was about 14 million, leaving only 10 million qualified. But of those, the report said 6 million go to college, leaving only 4 million potential recruits...http://www.ajc.com/search/content/auto/epaper/editions/friday/news_34336a62d52941750093.html
 
 
Recruit saturated Guard deploys more troops to hurricane while in Iraq too...
Military teams deployed in Texas, 9-23-05  About 3300 members of the Texas National Guard have been activated by Governor Rick Perry, and about 1700 others were on standby, he said...http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16694756%255E23109,00.html
 
 
 
Roman Army standards questioned...a result of well led Iraq war? GEDs no longer required, 9-20-05 The Army is reaching out to a slice of America’s youth long ineligible to serve: non-high school graduates who don’t have a General Equivalency Diploma...http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-1115623.php
 
 
School President apologizes for allowing recruiting?
Army pitch slips past School Board chief Mason, 9-20-05 ...Clark County School Board President Larry  Mason, dean of student affairs and workforce development for CCSN, said he was asked by one of the institute's organizers if "a career-oriented event" could take place. "The U.S. Army, the military, was never mentioned," Mason said. "Obviously I should have asked more questions."...
 
 
Even the Air Guard is having a tough time recruiting? Air Guard seeks more recruiters, 9-13-05 ...The Air Guard is projected to come in about 400 short of its 106,700 end strength when the fiscal year ends Sept. 30. Last year, with a deficit of about 200 people, the Air Guard missed its end-strength goal for the first time since 1996, James said....http://www.airforcetimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-1100744.php
 
From yesterday....Are these guys dead or AWOL?
10 active, 980 reserve sailors missing on Gulf Coast, 9-9-05 Navy officials now say just 10 active-duty sailors and 980 selected reservists remain missing along the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast as of Sept. 9....
 
 
I repeat: Are these guys dead or AWOL?
Hundreds of reservists yet to check in after Katrina, 9-13-05 ...As of Sunday, about 1,950 Army reservists and about 510 reserve families were still unaccounted for, according to Army Reserve Command spokesman Steve Stromvall. About 20,400 reservists and 2,400 families live in the affected areas...
 
Undersecretary puts best spin on recruitment...Recruiters' Hard Work Credited With Driving Up Enlistment Rates, 9-12-05 ....The all-volunteer force has developed into an organization that would exceed the wildest imaginations of those who created it, Bill Carr, acting deputy undersecretary of defense for military personnel policy said....http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Sep2005/20050912_2708.html
What undersecretary doesn't say is volunteerism applies to Guard & Reserve....they can't get enough volunteers!
Despite good August, US Army to miss recruit goal, 9-12-05 ...August, the penultimate month of fiscal 2005, saw the regular Army send more recruits into boot camp than any month since July 2001. But the part-time Army National Guard and Army Reserve, both missed their monthly goals again and will fall far short of their annual goals...
 
 
Are these guys dead or AWOL?
10 active, 980 reserve sailors missing on Gulf Coast, 9-9-05 Navy officials now say just 10 active-duty sailors and 980 selected reservists remain missing along the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast as of Sept. 9....
 
 
 
President Bush & Secretary Rumsfeld just said...
Guard Stretched Between Katrina, Wars, 9-10-05 President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld contend the military can handle the war and hurricane relief. But some lawmakers aren't convinced.....
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ats-ap_us12sep10,0,87743.story?coll=ny-leadnationalnews-headlines
 
 
HOWEVER....
Scores Denied Leave Time To Aid Displaced Families, 9-10-05 ...Affected Guard members were told last weekend that they would all be relieved of their duties and sent home to help families, a relative of the Guard member who lost his apartment said. Later, they were told that only men who had family members hurt or killed, or who owned homes that were destroyed, could go on short leaves, the Guard member told his relatives. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/10/AR2005091001255_pf.html
 
 
Guard Stretched Between Katrina, Wars, 9-10-05 ....lawmakers worry about the short-term impact of the dual duty on the Guard's manpower and equipment availability and the long-term effect on recruitment and retention...President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld contend the military can handle the war and hurricane relief. But some lawmakers aren't convinced.....
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ats-ap_us12sep10,0,87743.story?coll=ny-leadnationalnews-headlines
 
Have you considered the below Mr. President?
Iraq sees U.S. troop withdrawal in two years, 9-10-05  Iraqi President Jalal Talabani....would like U.S. and other forces to stay in Iraq, Talabani said the plan was to gradually reduce U.S. forces over the next two years....he foresaw Iraq's government asking the United States to keep "small groups of Americans" in "two, three small bases."...
http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=6076487&cKey=1126299913000
 
 
 
Britain's more desperate for more men in their services than the U.S.?
Telegraph | News | Army reveals secret elite unit that puts women on front line ...Service women of all ranks, and from all three of the Armed Forces, up to the age of 32 are allowed to apply to join the regiment. To be accepted they must complete a gruelling six-month selection course and undertake exactly the same physical and mental tests as their male counterparts...
 
 
 
 

 

 
And more.... 
101st Airborne going off to Iraq - again, 9-4-05 The 101st Airborne and other units stationed at Fort Campbell are preparing for another deployment to Iraq, two years after the division's yearlong mission in the Persian Gulf....more than 20,000 troops - will be carried out in stages possibly through November...
 
 
And even more....are Marines using incentives because of lack in Presidential leadership?
Re-enlistment bonuses rise, 9-2-05 ...It’s all part of the Corps’ effort to ensure they give enough reasons to Marines to stay in the Corps, officials said....
 
 
More evidence of Presidential non leadership?

Now That F Company Is Home From Iraq Another Battle is About to Begin, 9-1-05 ....According to the numbers provided to DefenseWatch by the former top kick as many as  90%  of the soldiers in the superbly trained, highly motivated, airborne long range reconnaissance company will be getting out of the service within the next six months.. Essentially, a very specialized infantry company has been wiped out due to non-hostile causes at a time when everybody in the armed forces – especially highly trained infantrymen - are vital to the security of the nation.....

http://www.sftt.org/main.cfm?actionId=globalShowStaticContent&screenKey=cmpDefense&htmlCategoryID=29&htmlId=3642

 

 
It was bound to happen again...
Couple challenge Va. law on registering for draft, 8-30-05 ...The couple's case, pending in Montgomery County Circuit Court, also alleges that Virginia is illegally punishing their 16-year-old son...State officials refute the family's claims and are seeking to dismiss the case on grounds that no actual harm has been done....Failure to complete the Selective Service portion of the form "will result in denial of your application," reads a note in bold lettering at the top of the section... http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke%5C31031.html

 

General Schoomaker's Optimism

 The AP reports that Army Chief of Staff General Peter Schoomaker is prepared to give commanders in Iraq what they say is needed on the ground in view of the four year plan. He says the Army is not in "dire straits" and faults those who think so for hysteria.  Afterall, combat soldiers in Iraq are signing up for extra tours of duty, he says. I wonder if that had anything to do with General Casey's estimate that they would begin withdrawing next year?

http://www.sftt.org/main.cfm?actionId=globalShowStaticContent&screenKey=cmpSpecial&htmlCategoryID=65&htmlId=3591

 

 

Isn't it our nations leaders responsibility to tell us the truth first? Schoomaker: Nation responsible for manning Army, 8-26-05 ...Gen. Peter Schoomaker said...“Raising and maintaining an Army is a national responsibility....When you look at the Constitution, it states in there that the government’s No. 1 purpose is to provide for the common defense. That puts it not on the Army, or the Navy or the Air Force or the Marine Corps. It puts it on the people of the United States....Schoomaker emphasized that units that had deployed to Iraq are far exceeding their re-enlistment goals...http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-1059548.php
 
 
General Schoomaker, I promise to remain positive in all comments.... 
US Army re-enlistment 'strong', 5-26-05 ......"I think we're a heck of a long way away from the breaking the army. It is a lot more resilient than people believe," General Peter Schoomaker told reporters in Washington....the army probably will fall short of the active duty forces recruitment goal this year by about 2000..."The negative drumbeat that we hear is not helpful," General Schoomaker said. ."The overemphasis on the negative is not helpful."...
 
 
Our British ally and second biggest coalition member has entirely too many men begging to serve in the Army....
Army struggles to attract recruits, 8-26-05 The shortfall in the number of trained soldiers has risen by more than 300% this year to more than 2,000, according to figures released yesterday by the Ministry of Defence.....
 
 
 
Massachusetts liberals begging governor to allow Guard members to serve in Iraq...
Initiative would force governor to seek recall of Guard units in Iraq, 8-26-05 ...Under the initiative, governors of Massachusetts would be required to ''take all necessary steps" under the law to bring home state Guard units deployed in Iraq. While only the US president can order such a recall, the initiative would compel the governor to argue against deployments to Iraq or risk being sued by a state resident, its supporters said...
 
 
Academy application drops unrelated to above story...
Military Academies Face Drop in Applications, 8-23-05 All of the schools saw a drop in prospective students, with the Air Force Academy (search) experiencing the most drastic change — a 23 percent decline from last year. The U.S. Military Academy at West Point (search) fared the best with a 9 percent drop in applicants, according to figures provided by the academy....
 
 
Even conservative challenged Oregon is ready for the "D" word....
Oregon poised for unlikely military draft, 8-24-05 ....Men aged 18 to 25 are still required to register for the draft...Some states, but not Oregon, combine draft registration with the issuance of a driver's license. (male dupes, talk about discrimination then mix  USFSPA extortion into the act which primarily affects you!) Lockwood lobbied for such a system in Oregon last year, but later withdrew his proposal. He said he hopes to try again with a bill that would allow driver's license applicants to "opt out" of draft registration...."The draft is a very real possibility," said Bill Galvin, counseling coordinator at the nonprofit Center on Conscience & War in Washington, D.C. "They just don't have the people they need." ...
 
Isn't the U.S. recruiting teen age boys as young as 17 and men as old as 42? With the 42 maximum age does that make us more desperate than the Taliban?
Army officer: Desperate Taliban recruiting boys, 8-24-05  Afghanistan -- Taliban rebels are emptying Islamic boarding schools of students in a desperate drive to recruit fighters, including teenage boys...
 
 
 
Military Academies Face Drop in Applications, 8-23-05 All of the schools saw a drop in prospective students, with the Air Force Academy (search) experiencing the most drastic change — a 23 percent decline from last year. The U.S. Military Academy at West Point (search) fared the best with a 9 percent drop in applicants, according to figures provided by the academy....
 
 
The next thing will be pre school indoctrination....not a bad idea.....
West Point Gets a High School, 8-24-05 ...The decision means West Point Prep's 202 students, 24 military personnel and 38 civilian jobs will be moving across state lines to New York - a decision cheered by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y....
 
 
 
 

May thin force? How about Will thin force? Troops in Europe say long U.S. stay in Iraq may thin force, 8-23-05 ...A first sergeant with the Darmstadt, Germany-based 440th Signal Battalion, Torrez is charged with overseeing about 90 soldiers in his company, which includes convincing them to re-enlist when their time is up. That job just got more difficult, he said, after Gen. Peter Schoomaker, the Army’s chief of staff, said in an interview with The Associated Press that the Army is planning for the possibility that it may have to keep its current troop strength until 2009.http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=31100

How can the Army sell itself when you read the above? Army Fights to Sell Itself to the Parents of Americam, 8-22-05  Ray DeThorne...brand manager for the Army's advertising account at Leo Burnett Inc., a Chicago ad agency...It is a job that gets more difficult each morning, when Americans read over breakfast about the latest roadside bomb or insurgent ambush that killed another handful of U.S. solders see above....the percentage of adult Americans with military experience plummets — about 11% today, compared with 20% in 1970 — the young men and women sought by the Army are increasingly being raised by parents who didn't serve in the armed forces...."When everybody's talking about Paris Hilton and 'The Dukes of Hazzard,' and there is no real suffering in the U.S. to the extent it happened during World War II, how can you convince parents that they should take part in the suffering?"....Even the gush of patriotism that followed the Sept. 11 attacks did not translate into a flood of young people signing up at Army recruiting stations, DeThorne said. "There was a surge of people buying American flags after 9/11," he said. "But there was no surge in people rushing in saying that they wanted to join the Army."...
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-na-armyads22aug22,1,6767750.story
 
 
Having a hard time getting English speaking Americans to enlist?
Uncle Sam really wants usted, 8-21-05 ...The Yankelovich research found...two-thirds of Latinos agree with the statement, "People's main responsibility is to themselves and their families, not to making the world a better place," compared with only half of whites....The Dream Act, now pending in Congress, would grant permanent residency to the children of illegal immigrants if they graduate from two years of college or serve two years in the military...."I just begin to wonder at what point we can continue to buy a force", said Rep. John M. McHugh (R-N.Y.) at a meeting of the House Armed Services subcommittee on recruiting last month....
 
 

Does the amount of the bonuses suggest no airmen nor sailors are interested?

Blue to Green Program Offers Bonuses ...Under Operation Blue to Green, sailors and airmen willing to enlist for three years may be eligible for bonuses up to $40,000. Those willing to retrain in one of more than 50 priority military-occupation specialties can receive bonuses of up to $10,000...http://www.military.com/MilitaryReport/0,12914,75225,00.html

Airmen & Sailors, are you interested in serving under this well led war?

Air Force's Blue to Green program off to a slow start, 3-10-05 Only about 60 airmen have taken advantage of the Operation Blue to Green program in its first seven months, Air Force said Wednesday...http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=26773&archive=true

 

 

 

 

Recruits: It's more accurate to say what you're NOT told by recruiters....
No-fly zones for military recruiters, 8-18-05 .......Kim Redigan, a teacher in Detroit and a member of Finding Alternatives to Military Enlistment."There's really an effort on the part of adults to get the word out to young people that they need to explore carefully what they're told by the military.... It's not to coerce young people to be antiwar, but to help them make well-informed decisions."
 
 
 
 
Or is lack of recruits a sign of lack of confidence in Presidential leadership?
Army Names New Recruiting Head, 8-17-05...Maj. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick will take command of recruiting operations Oct. 12...Army recruiting has languished since the start of the Iraq war..."Things aren't looking good for the remainder of the year," Douglas Smith, a spokesman for the Army recruiting headquarters at Fort Knox, Ky., said...
 
 
Bribers argue