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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: unclewest who wrote (52869)	7/5/2004 12:53:41 PM
From: Lane3	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793790

After Korea, Congress mandated that our servicemen receive a minimum of 6 months training before going to war. This was my earlier point about the draft, to which you didn't respond. I don't see how an advantage of the draft can be the ability to "vary the number drafted each month to maintain a consistent strength level" if it takes more than seven month to get a draftee in place. Would you explain that please?

To: unclewest who wrote (52869)	7/5/2004 12:57:31 PM
From: gamesmistress	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793790

UW, how does the proposed reduction in the # of armed units permanently in Germany (and possibly S. Korea) play into this? I realize that the idea of having more mobile units will take a while to implement.

To: unclewest who wrote (52869)	7/5/2004 1:05:02 PM
From: ManyMoose	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793790

Your comment (Those volunteers who meet the current Army standards for enlistment are definitely smart enough to do the jobs and do them well.) provoked the following recollection, which I relate here with absolutely no disrespect or intent. It's simply a memory I have from childhood. My Dad was a sergeant in the Marine Corps during WWII starting in 1938 until 1946. Among his assignments: Gunpointer on a five inch gun on the Northampton. Coxswain of the admiral's barge, glider pilot trainee which turned into navigator on a PBJ (Corps equivalent of a B-25) when the glider program was disbanded. Trainees with a High School diploma became pilots; my Dad didn't have one so he became a navigator. Aerologist (weather man). Recruiting sergeant. In the latter role, recruiting sergeant, Dad told me how young men would line up to get in the Corps. Some he would turn away, for whatever reason. Possibly they wore glasses or had some other characteristic he perceived didn't make the grade. He said those fellows went across the street and joined in the army. Perhaps this is all just a bit of Marine Corps hubris, but my Dad was a quiet and humble man. I wish he were still here so I could talk to him about it. I make up for that by talking to my father-in-law, who became a B-17 pilot as a non-commissioned Flight Officer. He flew twelve missions before being hit by flak. My brother-in-law trained most of the B-52 pilots in SAC before it was disbanded. He said the newer kids picked up on it much faster owing to their familiarity with video games. Anyway, again, no disrespect vis a vis the army. Your comment simply stimulated a lot of memories.