|
In the three decades since the Vietnam War, the “all-volunteer” army has become the bedrock principle of the American military. But with the Army and Marines perilously overextended by the war in Iraq, that volunteer foundation is starting to crack. The “weekend warriors” of the Army Reserve and the National Guard now make up almost half the fighting force on the front lines, and the young officers in the Reserve are retiring in droves. The Pentagon has involuntarily extended the enlistments of 100,000 soldiers. The Army has lowered it’s standards to let in 25% more high school dropouts, and the Marines are offering as much as ,000 to anyone who re-enlists. The Bush Administration claims that it will never reinstate a draft. This past October, Congress voted overwhelmingly against a bill that would’ve reinstated the draft. Yet questions remain about whether the U.S. military has the manpower to deal with a possible crisis on the Korean peninsula or in Syria or Iran? If there is a draft, who will be called to duty? What will be it’s impact on society?
|
