I know, another unpopular topic, but do you know that the United States is the only country that has an all volunteer army? Most countries have conscripted armies where you are required to serve a couple of years in defense of your country. One of the benefits of having the draft back would be. a lot those who are under-educated can use the military to finish their education. Not only that but in the military, they have on the job training in many fields. I've met people who were in the military who that had a better understanding of their job than someone who went to college to learn about it.



Plus, the national security wouldn't be stretched so thin. With the National Guard's tours of duty are being extended, its doubtfull any of them will reenlist. This will leave a large gap in our security. We need to keep our armed forces at full strength in these troubled times.





To answer Dennis' rebuttal, those who volunteered to serve in the National Guard or Reserves as a reserve force. The reservist just that, reservist. They are supposed to be used to fill in the gaps when are forces are at war, not the be the front line of the battle. In history, all battles had your front line forces, or your regular army. They bore the brunt of the battle while you kept your reserve forces behind to fill in where needed. IF the military was stretched beyound its means then whey on May 31, it was reported that several reservist, who had recently came back from Irag was being asked to re-enlist. If our military isn't being stretched too thin, why the need to trick people into re-signing?



And according to a to an AP report by John J. Lumpkin. (June 2. 2004) the Army is extending the enlistment of all soldiers with 90 days or less, as a "stop loss" manuver to keep forces from being broken up in Iraq.



"The rationale is to have cohesive, trained units going to war together,"

Hagenbeck said.