Would a hybrid draft System work?

2019-11-28T20:12:36-05:00

I have answered the “what about a draft “ question here more than a few times
Always to the no or the negative, don’t want it, didn’t work great when we had it. Type of response

But how about just a partial draft?

Continue doing what we doing now for recruitment, good pay and benefits bonuses many choices.

End of each service just like now, services set an accession number.... for easy math let’s say the army needs 10,000 recruits fiscal year 2021

At the end of fiscal year 2021 only 8200 citizens have volunteered
Military age citizens would make up the deficit of 1800 recruits

1800 people from the drop list lottery are selected no bonuses no choice of duties conscript service for let’s say two years

At the completion of two years honorable service those drafted and now released are eligible for full VA benefits just like an soldier volunteer.

So there is some incentive to be professional moral ethical productive during your Conscript service during and after.

Pay grade is capped at E4 during conscript service..

MOS is assigned based on needs of the army (service)

Guidance to the MSC‘s is to use them in MOS if they show confidence and willingness, competence and good work ethic or freely assign transcripts for those duties and tasks every unit gets stuck with outside the mission statement or Mission essential task list
Borrowed military man power, 180 or 365 day tasking‘s two National Training Center etc.

Every non-mission critical task company battalion and brigade level units have to put soldiers into
Staff Duty CQ, KP, duty driver, garrison task or jobs. rail head teams, wash rack even in a diploid status somebody has to check ID cards at the DFAC, the headquarters somebody has to answer a phone or a radio and all the other non-MOS specific duties job as actions or task that every unit has to put qualified MOS people into just to get through the day.

And that way there’s some personal control in their destiny. if they choose to stand up and do the best they can they may be allowed to serve in a MOS trained slot, possibly even displacing a volunteer SM Who then gets to go for fill those unglamorous, Unfun tasking‘s.

In response to the very issues I’ve brought up previously in other threads

What about a conscript having a bad attitude? unwilling to work? being a problem child?

That’s addressed with the carrot or the stick.

The carrot is good pay Unless taken away during UCMJ) benefits (unless other then an honorable discharge is warranted) some freedom while serving(do your job well, get to do your job, Be a dud get to clean the wash wrack 6 days a week) full benefits at the end (unless other then an honorable discharge is warranted)

The stick is a streamlined UCMJ process, maybe bring back local corrections facilities at the unit level shitty taskings EVERY day for 2 years.

Even my children growing up learned very quickly that when they were being punished for having Done something wrong
Learned it was much better to do a reasonably good job at whatever task they were given rather than face the consequences of blowing off whatever task were given, ignoring a restriction or doing a half assed job at them.

Certainly a military age service member conscript can figure out the same as a 12-year-old

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made Nov 28 at 2019 9:27 PM

2019-11-28T21:27:26-05:00

I have always taken issue with the draft. 1st, no matter how fairly it is designed, there is always the perception that some (usually rich and/or connected white guys) will be able to doge the draft, laying the burden unequally upon the shoulders of the economically disadvantaged.
2nd, while I understand that SCOTUS HAS ruled it Constitutional in ragards to the 13th Amendmwnt and involuntary servitude, it still seems, to me, to run afoul of the 5th Amenment and depriving folks of their liberty without due process of the law.

All that being said, I believe your system COULD work, although I would still prefer an all-volunteer Army if possible. And it would have the added bonus of relieving some of the stress on recruiters.

Response by MSgt Steven Holt, NRP, CCEMT-P made Nov 28 at 2019 10:20 PM

2019-11-28T22:20:52-05:00

Interesting concept SGM Erik Marquez and one I'd have to think about for a while before answering in depth. First thing that comes to mind is how to make it fair and equitable across the board (ie: rich and/or well connected can't buy their way out). Would we still allow those with felony convictions to be drafted? As I recall, both of those issues were problems during the last draft and proved problematic at best.

Response by MSG Danny Mathers made Nov 29 at 2019 10:52 AM

2019-11-29T10:52:55-05:00

I do not read anything largely different than the Vietnam draft area with the exception of limiting the pay grade to SPC. Draftees had the GI Bill back in the day as far as I know. I do support some kind of draft but i do not like putting a cap on E-4 especially if the SM is deployed in a combat zone and has warranted a promotion to Sergeant. The system is already set up to draft with registration. I would not support deferments for college, only medical. However, they should be able to complete their semester. Draft dodger should be caught and serve 2 years of community service & given a stipend, or the Peace Corp overseas. Opinions vary...........

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Nov 29 at 2019 12:10 PM

2019-11-29T12:10:21-05:00

SGM Erik Marquez I agree with the premise. I think it would also validate he Selective service system by making it run at a "pilot production" rate in the event it needed to go to full production.

The inevitable gripe will be real and imagined fairness. The selection: why her instead of him? Why instead of this other guy? The lottery would have to be without exception except medical, mental health, unsuitability (drugs, criminal record, etc). Lack of fitness would have to be accommodated and not be a free ticket out. People get recycled in training all the time. So what if they spend an extra 4 weeks in Basic training? It would be an excellent incentive to get in shape and graduate.

I think UCMJ would have to be powered down to the Company and yes, CCF. For everyone who needs it, not just the draftees. I think allowing draftees the option of reenlisting if they desire and are eligible, would be value added. Upon reenlistment they should be eligible to compete for E5.

If we don't treat enlistees the same we get a caste system...like the colored jump suits for the foreign workers in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. That would be corrosive.

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Nov 29 at 2019 12:39 PM

2019-11-29T12:39:15-05:00

The major problem with the draft is that to be fair, anyone drafted would have to serve in some capacity. If not, it will drift into the system of deferments and exclusions that plagued the draft system from WWII to the last one in 1973. Maybe the way Heinlein envisioned service in Starship Trooper would work with the draft.

Response by SPC Angela Burnham made Nov 29 at 2019 3:14 PM

2019-11-29T15:14:16-05:00

I don't really see any real reason for it today tbh. We always have more willing recruits than we need these days. One thing that would have to change is allowing females to be drafted imo.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 30 at 2019 2:17 AM

2019-11-30T02:17:33-05:00

I oppose conscription. It is involuntary servitude that should be considered illegal under the 14th Amendment. If the military can't get free people to join with incentives than we need to rethink our policy and if our government is worth defending.