Less than 1% of Americans Have Served

[Old Sarge]

[QUOTE=Ray,IN;1032783]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuck 1935 I disagree. WW II had a draft, Korea had a draft, Vietnam had a draft for most of the "conflict". The U.S.A. was still booming during those military draft decades.

Maybe so.....However, this country was smart enough not to repeat history's mistakes. Was it Franklin that said a society that didn't learn from history was doomed to repeat it?

If you look throughout the ages all the way back to Babylonian society when a draft was initiated to protect the society, it declined soon after.

And besides, it was the draft during Vietnam that was the catalyst for most of the civil unrest in this country. The young/disenfranchised wanted to stop the war so they wouldn't get drafted. Look at what happened in this country the last time a draft was mentioned a few years back.

Final thought...Yes, we had a draft during those time you mentioned. If you look around, isn't our society declining?

I rest my case.

[jabfado]

I think that all our youth at 18 years of age should have to serve at least two years in the Military Service of their choice...If they are consientious objecter they can do behind the front line work like loading plane, trucks, and ships or work in bupers....Just maybe then they would show some pride in Country instead of knowing who the Kardashions are or who Justin Beiber is...

[Hipshot]

In colonial times, the Thirteen Colonies used a militia system for defense. Colonial militia laws—and after independence those of the United States and the various states—required able-bodied males to enroll in the militia, to undergo a minimum of military training, and to serve for limited periods of time in war or emergency. This earliest form of conscription involved selective DRAFTS of militiamen for service in particular campaigns. Following this system in its essentials, the Continental Congress in 1778 recommended that the states draft men from their militias for one year's service in the Continental army; this first national conscription was irregularly applied and failed to fill the Continental ranks.
The United States first employed national conscription during the American Civil War. The vast majority of troops were volunteers; however, of the 2,100,000 Union soldiers, about 2% were draftees, and another 6% were paid substitutes.
The civil unrest during the Viet Nam war was caused by a small group of socialist agitators inciting groups of stupid students.
I do believe the United States is in decline, but it is not due to the draft or lack of draft. I believe it is due the lack of consideration of anything except self gratification. In other words it is "Give ME more FREE stuff, screw you, get out of my way and ME FIRST".
To quote the Roman Poet Juvenal circa 100 AD "Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: BREAD AND CIRCUSES."
Or as famous American author Robert Heinlein said, "Once the monkeys learn they can vote themselves bananas, they'll never climb another tree."

[gray ghost]

Ref the post about the draft and how it affected public opinion. When GEN Abrams became Chief of Staff of the Army he reorganized the Army, moving most of the Combat Service Support functions into the Reserve Components. His belief was that in wars in which the reserves were mobilized, the public had more of a stake in the action. While some Reserve and National Guard units were mobilized for VN, it was nowhere near the percentages of WWII or subsequent conflicts. One of the quotes I have seen was along the lines of "I want to ensure that the Army can never go to war again without the Reserves." I believe that the support our troops have seen in these present times is because units from small town America are deploying along with those from bases.

[JRNOLL]

I was very proud to serve. My son the 2Lt. is very proud to serve, so are all the men he trained with. God Bless us all.

[Rmiscoord]

I am proud to have served in the USN 67 to 73. That included a summer blue water cruise off Vietnam on an ammo ship and cold war patrols on a Polaris Missile Sub.
That said I stopped in at a Navy recruiters office to get some "Go Navy" stickers (I live near Fort Lewis and thought there should be something other then Army stickers around town ) anyway I asked the incredibly young looking CPO how recruiting was going. He said his only problem filling his quotas was finding people smart enough .
Another problem for young folks wanting to serve is that the military is much smaller in numbers and much higher in technology. Like the rest of society.