Word: draft
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...draft machinery is so rusty that the Pentagon no longer even knows how many eligible men are in the prime 18-to-26 age group, or where they reside. Registering, classifying and sending the first draftee to basic training would take 110 days, and by that time the Soviets might have scored major victories in a European ground...
After defending the all-volunteer force for years, the admirals and the generals are now admitting that they are worried about recruiting. "The trend is unmistakably down," says General Louis H. Wilson, Marine commandant. But not even the Pentagon wants to crank up the old draft again. General David C. Jones, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, admits that "there were tremendous inequities in the previous Selective Service." The service chiefs, however, want registration revived and the draft machinery oiled up. Going one big step further, General Bernard W. Rogers, the Army's Chief of Staff, favors calling...
...peacetime revival of the draft is bitterly opposed as an infringement of freedom by such groups as the antiwar Friends Committee and the American Civil Liberties Union. Nonetheless, there is a growing feeling on Capitol Hill that the all-volunteer force is a failure, as long argued by Senator John C. Stennis, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Bills before Congress range from requiring only registration to reinstituting the old-fashioned draft. There is even talk of making women register. One other proposal would set up a "national service" program that would allow draftees to go into uniform...
Despite the serious manpower shortage, Congress is in no mood to vote for a draft, not in peacetime, not with an election coming up. The most that Congress can probably be persuaded to accept this session is some form of registration...
Discourage the Growth of Federal Spending. Sharply reduce grants to the states, most of which are running surpluses and do not need such large payments. Pare the defense budget by returning to some form of military draft, paying 19-year-olds at a rate of $100 a month for one year's service. Such a move would arouse immediate protest and unpopularity, but it could reduce the Pentagon's personnel costs by several billions. As the growth of federal spending drops, the need for Government borrowing will decline, freeing up more capital for private investment...