How can we possibly need a draft with a 1.7 million member military?

[ringmastery]

Get some of those people working desk jobs or in some far away military base into training and into Iraq.

[mouse7]

1. It's pretty small in WWII terms

We couldn't fight a war with a big front like we had in WWII with this military set-up. Not even close.

That's the problem in Iraq now. The military is set up for maximum impact and penetration into rear areas on a small front now with high cost weapons systems. Garrison duty is a high manpower, low tech mission. This is why the Pentagon was screaming not to send us to Iraq. We are totally unprepared for these tasks.

[mulethree]

2. 125,000

lets see

125 in Iraq for 6 months
125 in the states recently returned from Iraq - 6 months
125 in korea, germany etc - 6 months
125 in the states back from korea, germany heading to Iraq next
=
500,000

Now they will increase the Iraq piece of the rotation a month, reducing the stateside piece of the rotation. So we can have 150,000
in Iraq all the time, but still 500,000 in the rotation.

Some are Marines - technically Navy
I suspect 1.7 mm must include the activated reserves.
I wonder how many of the missing Million are Navy and Air-Force?

[Parrcrow]

3. nobody is going to volunteer now

It was an alternative for those who had no access to jobs or education. It is no longer a realistic option for poor farm and inner-city kids. I have no intention of denying the patriotism of those who have joined in the past, but they didn't sign up for poorly thought out imperialist ventures.

They will have to be drafted to do that now.