Return of the US military draft in the future?

[@M]

So, you've probably seen the recent news story about the US military having difficulty getting adequate numbers of new recruits these days (decreased interest, Covid fears/restrictions, many volunteers are too overweight and/or perform poorly on their apptitude tests, etc.) While there's no serious talk about reimposing the draft, if things get bad enough, I could see that being considered to rectify the problem. Some countries, like Israel and South Korea, make short military service mandatory for nearly everyone, which is another approach, but, a policy like that would probably meet very strong resistance in the USA, unless perhaps we were to become embroiled in a war. Thoughts?

 

[HellioN]

I have doubt.
Only way i'd be okay with it is if the children/grandchildren of anyone holding office go first.

 

[lithy]

unless perhaps we were to become embroiled in a war.

lol

 

[sirlynxalot]

If we were in a significant land war a la WW2, or at least a major conflict that is seen as righteous amongst the average population (i.e., there's a major attack on US soil, there is an obvious enemy, the population in general feels that their safety and security is at risk) I could see it coming back. There's a reason we kept selective service registration requirements after all.

Vietnam exposed big problems with the draft when the conflict is unsupported/unpopular with the troops, namely drafted troops kept murdering their commanding officers in the later years of the war. The chain of command broke down in a lot of instances and was uncommandable.

If we're in some kind of WW2-like struggle, I could see a lot of the exclusions being rolled back to get more people in. During Vietnam a relative of mine was drafted but the military checked him out and excluded him because he had flat feet. During WW2, his dad had flat feet, no one cared and he was sent to fight. Nazi Germany also relaxed draft requirements as WW2 started going worse for them, so by the end of the war you had 13 year olds and 60+ year olds doing stuff. See also Ukraine where they've basically asked every male to fight. You don't need to be 22 years old, 180 pounds and in peak physical condition in order to do stuff like fly drones, or support infrastructure, such as delivering mail, driving trucks, or cooking food.

 

[SignOfGoob]

I don’t think the USA has deteriorated enough. It would have to become something almost unrecognizable to the current version to have a functional draft again. Nobody wants it anywhere on any level.

 

[NeoSneth]

They are using these fear statements as marketing to get more funding. There's no concern for the draft outside of a war.

The Air Force does this over and over about a "Pilot Shortage". My friend who is a pilot for the Air Force says this all the time. Yet, I ask him why the Navy has no issues with Pilots? Silence. The Navy has even called out the other branches for this false marketing. Air Force wants more funding. edit: I will add that after Top Gun the Navy is also using this to get more funding and pilots.

 

[Claudia Schiffer]

i think a draft is not realistic or necessary. the superiority of the force multipliers we have in our arsenal would probably bridge the gap in sheer numbers between fighting forces in a conventional war.

 

[StevenK]

Only when we decide we want you back again, and you flap and flail hopelessly.

P.s. if I like you I'll let you know in advance.

 

[SignOfGoob]

They are using these fear statements as marketing to get more funding. There's no concern for the draft outside of a war.

The Air Force does this over and over about a "Pilot Shortage". My friend who is a pilot for the Air Force says this all the time. Yet, I ask him why the Navy has no issues with Pilots? Silence. The Navy has even called out the other branches for this false marketing. Air Force wants more funding. edit: I will add that after Top Gun the Navy is also using this to get more funding and pilots.

Pilots are something people actually want to be. As long as there is an Air Force there will be a people who want to be pilots. The US Military overall though needs like 1000 guys for every pilot and it has always had trouble finding and keeping good people. (George Washington’s army was mostly conscripts and were shot on desertion.) If this wasn’t the case recruiters wouldn’t be so famously full of shit. If there were plenty of schmucks entering the service every year recruiters would be able to be honest. They wouldn’t have to lie right to your mothers face about Army life when she starts asking questions, etc. If they had plenty of good people they wouldn’t have to create those ridiculous advertisements aimed at trailer folk, sponsoring a NASCAR entry for example, or fictional TV ads that make it look like you’re actually going to be better off after your Army career instead of shot to hell and suicidal, which is far more likely. For about %95 of the population the armed forces is a bad move.

 

[fake]

I'm sure a Lucitania, Pearl Harbor, Gulf of Tonkin, or 9/11 would be an easier marketing project to pull off than reinstating the draft.

 

[Claudia Schiffer]

Only when we decide we want you back again, and you flap and flail hopelessly.

P.s. if I like you I'll let you know in advance.

what?

 

[Claudia Schiffer]

Pilots are something people actually want to be. As long as there is an Air Force there will be a people who want to be pilots. The US Military overall though needs like 1000 guys for every pilot and it has always had trouble finding and keeping good people. (George Washington’s army was mostly conscripts and were shot on desertion.) If this wasn’t the case recruiters wouldn’t be so famously full of shit. If there were plenty of schmucks entering the service every year recruiters would be able to be honest. They wouldn’t have to lie right to your mothers face about Army life when she starts asking questions, etc. If they had plenty of good people they wouldn’t have to create those ridiculous advertisements aimed at trailer folk, sponsoring a NASCAR entry for example, or fictional TV ads that make it look like you’re actually going to be better off after your Army career instead of shot to hell and suicidal, which is far more likely. For about %95 of the population the armed forces is a bad move.

shut up. you need to join. i have a feeling it would do your fat ass some good.

 

[100proof]

Yeah, not gonna happen. Military conflict is already moving away from traditional ground forces and Americans have become too lazy and entitled to make that kind of sacrifice.

Thankfully, there will always be enough poor, desperate people to fill the lower ranks of service.

 

[Hattori Hanzo]

Just give the drones a conscience. What can go wrong?

 

[HellioN]

Just give the drones a conscience. What can go wrong?

View attachment 58909

Do you want terminators?
Because this is how you get terminators.

 

[Hattori Hanzo]

We already have them, we just need to wait till they realize it. Maybe you should work on your sarcasm detection.

 

[HellioN]

We already have them, we just need to wait till they realize it. Maybe you should work on your sarcasm detection.

Ants

 

[Burning Fight!!]

That silly Star Trek episode where they wage computer simulated wars instead of fighting is progressively making more and more sense the more deadly and unmanned war machines become. Just don't implement the simulated to real deaths thing with the gas Chambers and we'll be fine.

 

[terry.330]

I'm waiting for the Robot-Jox future where all international disputes will be settled by one on one mecha fights.

 

[Lagduf]

Let’s face it, all us Americans on this site are too old or physically unfit to get drafted.

 

[StevenK]

what?

Don't worry about keeping space clear in your inbox

 

[Neo_Mike_81]

Will future wars ever be just like Gundam series?

 

[Lagduf]

I don’t think giant bipedal robots are in our future, sadly.

 

[HellioN]

I'd settle for slightly oversized robots.

 

[Syn]

We need Rollerball!