Another portent of draft revival."America's all-volunteer military simply cannot deploy and sustain enough troops to succeed in places like Iraq while still deterring threats elsewhere in the world," write Captain Philip Carter, U.S. Army (Ret.), and Paul Grastris in "The Case for the Draft" in the March 2005 Washington Monthly. "America has a choice. It can be the world's superpower, or it can maintain the current all-volunteer military, but it probably can't do both." Refusing to consider the missing third alternative--a return to our status as a free and independent constitutional republic--the authors examine, and dismiss, five scenarios for military reform: international burden-sharing with allies; privatizing peacekeeping peace·keep·ing adj. Of or relating to the preservation of peace, especially the supervision by international forces of a truce between hostile nations. peace and other missions via contractors; radically transforming the military to emphasize speed, mobility, and hi-tech superiority; upsizing the volunteer military through increased enlistment ENLISTMENT. The act of making a contract to serve the government in a subordinate capacity, either in the army or navy. The contract so made, is also called an enlistment. See, as to the power of infants to enlist, 4 Binn. 487; 5 Binn. 423; Binn. 255; 1 S. & R. 87; 11 S. & R. 93. and retention incentives; and using similar incentives to expand the reserves. "That leaves one option left for providing the military with sufficient numbers of high-quality deployable ground forces: conscription conscription, compulsory enrollment of personnel for service in the armed forces. Obligatory service in the armed forces has existed since ancient times in many cultures, including the samurai in Japan, warriors in the Aztec Empire, citizen militiamen in ancient ," they contend. They propose a plan in which the federal government would impose a requirement that no four-year college or university be allowed to accept a student, male or female, unless and until that student had completed a 12-month to two-year term of service. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Carter and Grastris, this 21st-century service requirement, unlike an old-fashioned draft, would provide a vital element of personal choice. "Students could choose to fulfill ful·fill also ful·fil tr.v. ful·filled, ful·fill·ing, ful·fills also ful·fils 1. To bring into actuality; effect: fulfilled their promises. 2. their obligations in any of three ways: in national service programs like AmeriCorps (tutoring disadvantaged children), in homeland security Noun 1. Homeland Security - the federal department that administers all matters relating to homeland security Department of Homeland Security executive department - a federal department in the executive branch of the government of the United States assignments (guarding ports), or in the military. Those who choose the latter could serve as military police officers, truck drivers, or other non-combat specialists requiring only modest levels of training.... They would be deployed as needed as needed prn. See prn order. for peacekeeping or nation-building missions. They would serve 12 months to two years, with modest follow-on reserve obligations." (Emphasis added.) |
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