[geeks] Special skills draft?

[Mike Parson]

On Thu, Sep 23, 2004 at 10:18:55AM -0400, Michael Horton wrote:
>> Who said there was going to be any kind of draft?
>
> John Kerry has been pushing a draft (Democrat Senator)

And yesterday, he told a group of parents that he would catagorically
not re-introduce the draft, basically insinuating that the current
adminstration is considering it.  The basic fact is, yeah, they probably
are exploring it, just like they explore all options, when it comes to
national defense, they have to think about these things.

Right now, we've got an all volunteer military, and the volunteers are
coming in at such a rate that the draft is currently not needed.

> Charles Rangel has been puchsing a draft (Democrat Congressman)

His reason for a draft to get rid of the volunteer military, so that
we'd be less willing to send conscripts into combat than volunteers who
knew what they were signing up for.

> these and other democrats are using the threat of a general draft to
> create FUD.
> (i guess they watched SCO and thought the process looked good!)
>
> a special skills draft would start with people who have a present
> relationship with the government.
>      military reservists
>      national guard units
>      state government health workers (the bio-terrist people are
> registered with the federal government)
>      grant receipients
>      contractors
>      etc.
>
> (of course, volunteers would be accepted at some level.)
>
> for instance, you may be the world's greatest programmer but served a
> nuclear sub operator in the us navy.
> you would be re-upped as a nuclear sub operator not as a programmer.

About half way through my Nat'l guard duty, the duty seargent for my
company called me at work and wanted to know if I would be willing to go
on active status and work in division as a computer operator, he knew
that my civilian job was with computers (I was a junior sysadmin at the
time).  Even at jurnior level pay, it was better than I'd make full-time
active E-3, so I turned it down.  The thing about that was, the Army
trained me to be a truck driver, not a computer operator.

> (of course, if you are doing research under a federal grant, your
> exposure is doubled. that is, you could be drafted as a nuclear sub
> operator or a whiz-bang programmer.)

Hate to pick this nit, but sub duty, at least in the USN, AFAIK, has
always been volunteer.

> a special skills draft has always been available in modern times.
> (check your military/reserve contract.)

My MOS was dissolved shortly after I got out.  All of the special
training I received while on regular duty has long since expired (combat
life-saver, haz-mat, fuel-handling, ammo specialist), besides, there's
just no way in hell I'd pass the entrance physical again. ;)

-- 
Michael Parson
mparson at bl.org