Uncle Sam Wants YOU! ...and what uncle Sam wants...

[Lancer]

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/08/10/war.adviser.draft.ap/index.html?eref=edition

The word for today boys and girls is 'D r a f t'.

[Elok]

Not too likely in the current political environment, methinks (though I don't know, I wasn't alive during the Vietnam era). Still, I'm glad I'm manifestly unfit for military service.

[b etor]

that word is only for boys

[Apocalypse]

I listened to the interview. It was pretty clear that there wouldn't be a draft.

[Lonestar]

Yeah, the article itself makes it clear that he was asked if a Draft was one of the options they considered for manning. What's he going to do, go "durr...no, we don't consider all options when we plan stuff" ?

[RGBVideo]

"I think it makes sense to certainly consider it," Army Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute said in an interview with National Public Radio's "All Things Considered."

"And I can tell you, this has always been an option on the table. But ultimately, this is a policy matter between meeting the demands for the nation's security by one means or another," said Lute, who is sometimes referred to as the "Iraq war czar." It was his first interview since he was confirmed by the Senate in June.

Predictable media hysteria about the draft -- is this a seasonal thing? Every six months, the press tries to scaremonger people with this by an out-of-context quote?

[SlowwHand]

Originally posted by Elok
Not too likely in the current political environment, methinks (though I don't know, I wasn't alive during the Vietnam era). Still, I'm glad I'm manifestly unfit for military service.

Keep your head buried in the sand, Elok.
For the USA's part, it's already been noted and asked, with all tours lengthened and reserves called up, what do you really think the options are now?

[RGBVideo]

Originally posted by SlowwHand



Keep your head buried in the sand, Elok.
For the USA's part, it's already been noted and asked, with all tours lengthened and reserves called up, what do you really think the options are now?

Pay rises, funded by increased budget deficits.

[Patroklos]

For the USA's part, it's already been noted and asked, with all tours lengthened and reserves called up, what do you really think the options are now?

Deplpoy more than 15% of our military maybe?

[Chemical Ollie]

Originally posted by Patroklos


Deplpoy more than 15% of our military maybe?

Sailors patrolling the streets of Baghdad

[SlowwHand]

Whatever, Pat. I don't like draftees, so I'll the join the 'Oh, surely not" faction.

[Lonestar]

Originally posted by Chemical Ollie


Sailors patrolling the streets of Baghdad

You think you are being funny, but Admiral Mullen(the outgoing CNO) was doing his level best to send as many sailors to the sandbox as possible. I do not think that this is a bad policy. Although I question the wisdom of a buddy arriving at Balad expecting to be runnign signals collection like he did on the ship, and they go "Omni Domni you're a M60 Gunner on a truck."

Putting that clearance to real use there

But yeah, there's about 16,000 or so sailors in Iraq. Most of them are probably medics with the Marines, the rest are what's called "Individual augmentees" to the the army.

[Az]

REMFing is not a crime - but militaries around the world should really start thinking about giving their soldiers of the rear more combat training and perhaps forming shadow field units to go on combat duties.

[Patroklos]

But yeah, there's about 16,000 or so sailors in Iraq. Most of them are probably medics with the Marines, the rest are what's called "Individual augmentees" to the the army.

The vast majority are IAs. And I think that number is too high. According to the Navy times there are only 12000 IAs worldwide, with about 6000 in Iraq (+ corpsmen).

[Lonestar]

Originally posted by Patroklos


The vast majority are IAs. And I think that number is too high. According to the Navy times there are only 12000 IAs worldwide, with about 6000 in Iraq (+ corpsmen).

Maybe I'm thinking about the total number of IA's cycled through Iraq?