With the recent war in Iraq there has been of the United States government bringing back the military draft. This has caused many people to worry, even myself about the situation in Iraq. The war seems to be getting out of hand for the government to deal with if they are planning to bring back the draft. Then there is the fact that the United States has been losing more and more troops everyday, which could possibly lead to the draft being reinstated.
The United State military draft was discontinued in 1973, after the end of the Vietnam War, moving on to an all-volunteer force which we have today. The first draft was used by the Confederacy on 16 April 1862. Government officials plagued with manpower shortages regarded drafting as the only means of sustaining an effective army and hoped it would spur voluntary enlistments. (Conscription) Although that issue again arises with the depletion of the nationÃÂs reserves with the recent activities in the Middle East.
List of wars involving the United States
Map of major operations and battles of the Iraq Wa...
An Iraqi woman looks on as U.S. Army Soldiers from..."There is no question that the force is stretched too thin," said David Segal, director of the Center for Research on Military Organization at the University of Maryland. "We have stopped treating the reserves as a force in reserve. Our volunteer army is closer to being broken today than ever before in its 30-year history."(Military Draft). Due to these circumstances the volunteer rate has declined in the years of the war. Last year the Army fell 7 percent below its recruitment goal. And in some states, the retention rate has fallen far below the desired 85 percent to 71 percent. Army officials attribute the strong re-enlistment rates to unprecedented cash bonuses and a renewed sense of purpose in fighting terrorism.
Some of the record bonuses are tax-free if soldiers re-enlist while in...