Bush has ordered that the military draft be ready for activation for the first time since the Vietnam era. After denying that there are "no plans" for a military draft, Bush has set aside an additional $28 million to get a military draft ready by March 31, 2005, ready for activation 75 days later. Bush cut the activation period from 8 months to 75 days. But don't take my word for it -- read the Selective Service's budget and plans. You'll see that the Selective Service must report to Bush on March 31, 2005, and that the system must be ready for activation within 75 days. (Strategic Objective 1.2: Ensure a mobilization infrastructure of 56 State Headquarters, 442 Area Offices and 1,980 Local Boards are operational within 75 days of an authorized return to conscription.) Take from this what you will, but the information tells me two things -- one, that Bush isn't being honest with us; and two, that more war is coming. http://www.sss.gov/perfplan_fy2004.html This FY 2004 APP identifies the activities and strategies that will take place during the fiscal year to achieve Agency goals and objectives. It also identifies relevant performance measurement target goals to be achieved. The performance goals for FY 2004 are: 1. Develop an Area Office Prototype Exercise that will test the Health Care Personnel Delivery System (HCPDS) work flows and support programs. 2. Redefine Agency infrastructure based on a Quinquennial Workload Study. 3. Prepare and conduct an Area Office Prototype Exercise which tests the activation process from SSS Lottery input to the issuance of the first Armed Forces Examination Orders. 4. Ensure 90% of people tested are capable of implementing activation procedures. 5. Ensure that 95% of the predefined readiness objectives are attained and validated during an Area Office Prototype Exercise. 6. Train 90% of assigned State Directors (SDs) and Reserve Force Officers (RFOs) on HCPDS and Timed-Phased Response (TPR) functions and responsibilities. 7. Attain a 92% or greater compliance rate for men 18 through 25 years old. 8. Attain and appoint Registrars in 85% of the Nation’s high schools. 9. Obtain 75% of all registrations electronically. 10. Maintain an average systems change request implementation time of 39 days. 11. Maintain a functional proponent and customer satisfaction level of 87%. 12. Have a telephone call completion rate of 93% or higher. 13. Answer correspondence in less than 10 days. 14. Train 90% of assigned SDs and RFOs on Alternative Service plans and procedures. ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT An annual report providing the results of the implementation of these performance measures will be submitted by March 31, 2005. This report will address attained versus planned levels of performance, explain unattained target levels, and identify where and how strategies, performance goals, and performance indicators should be changed to ensure that the SSS reaches its strategic and annual goals and objectives.
Good lord, GV, I hope this is a massive clerical error or a complete misunderstanding on the part of any reasonable person who hears this. Maybe there's some other explanation for such 2004 activity -- maybe this is part of his economic stimulus.
Dude, I hope so, too. Sadly, though, the budget/plan is written in no uncertain terms -- they're definitely moving in that direction. I've literally been sick all afternoon. I still can't believe it.
Well, the government can improve the selective service and the ability to get a draft going in a shorter time period without having any specific plans to actually activate the draft, but I'm also skeptical because paying so much attention and effort toward significantly improving the ability to get a draft up and running (and restaffing the draft boards, etc.) certainly implies there is at least some future plans within the administration that would call for using it. I guess the time is quickly coming to look into moving my family out of the U.S. because I am not going to allow my sons to be taken away from me against their will to fight some dubious fight.
you mean, some dubya's fight? Huh huh. Sorry. You won't be alone. If there's any spine left in my fellow Americans, there will be draft riots. Their spin machine is just simply not powerful enought to pull this off. GV, where did you find this? I doubt you saw it in the "biased liberal media" of our nation.
I was just surfing around, and saw a link on buzzflash. I usually take what they say with a grain of salt (a bit too reactionary for me sometimes). But I investigated a little and saw they were right. This isn't some big secret -- it's *right there* on the Selective Service website. But I can't find anyone who's reported it. I just sent the link to a few newspapers and journalists to see if they know anything about it. Maybe it's just being misinterpreted, or it is a "clerical error." Either way, I think we deserve an answer here.
I have a son as well. He wouldn't be of draft age until the last year or two of a second Bush term, but that is soon enough. No way in hell would I support a draft or a war brought about by this idiot... who has proven himself incompetent in foreign affairs and reckless with this country's blood and treasure. God help us. This man is a clear and present danger to the United States. There isn't a conflict on the horizon that would require anything more than an increase in our already superb volunteer armed forces. And that could be paid for by doing away with the endless Bush tax cuts that are giving us this enormous deficit. If there is such a security risk, I would be more than happy to pay higher taxes to support an increase in the size, training, equipment, and benefits for the military. Why doesn't Bush? Why doesn't Bush? Can any of his supporters here answer that simple question? Would you rather have the madness of an unnecessary draft or continue supporting tax cuts while we have a huge part of our military tied down in Iraq. How can any of that make sense?
Bush/Cheney 2004 Bumper stickers ------------------------------ Bush/Cheney '04: Four More Wars! Bush/Cheney '04: Apocalypse Now! Bush/Cheney '04: Because the truth just isn't good enough. Bush/Cheney '04: Compassionate Colonialism Bush/Cheney '04: Deja-voodoo all over again! Bush/Cheney '04: Leave no billionaire behind Bush/Cheney '04: Over a billion Whoppers served. Bush/Cheney '04: Putting the "con" in conservatism Bush/Cheney '04: Thanks for not paying attention. Bush/Cheney '04: The economy's stupid! Bush/Cheney '04: The last vote you'll ever have to cast. Bush/Cheney '04: This time, elect us! Bush/Cheney '04: We're Gooder! Bush/Cheney: Asses of Evil Don't think. Vote Bush! George W. Bush: A brainwave away from the presidency George W. Bush: It takes a village idiot Vote Bush in '04: "I Has Incumbentory Advantitude" Vote Bush in '04: It's a no-brainer! Who would Jesus Bomb?
What am I missing here? Based on the pasted informatin, this looks like a health care system being activated, not a draft. GreenVegan, DEFEND YOURSELF
This line is a bit vague. Do you mean that Bush has "ordered the draft be ready for activation" and that this is the first time since Vietnam for this to happen? Or, do you mean that Bush wants it to be ready, and IF it is activated, it would be the first time since the Vietnam war? Where did you get the link from?
And that's exactly what you did. You didn't bother to read it, because if you did, you'd see that there is nothing really there. If I was Trader_Jorge, I might say that certain people, which lean to a certain side of the political aisle, have done something NOT GOOD.
Let's just start taking names now for people who bought into the liberals' latest shameful attempt at anti-Bush propaganda. The following people bought into this sham HOOK, LINE and SINKER: GreenVegan76 Sizzle Chest (b-bob) SWTsig Deckard Thanks boys for the added ammo. Credibility is going to be a serious issue for you folks from here on out.
whether this draft issue is true or not doesn't change the way i feel about this abomination of an administration. and credibility is the last thing you could accuse others of.... oh yeah: F*CK BUSH. just wanted to reiterate that.
This was reported a week ago or so. IIRC what was happening was that local draft boards, w hich have pretty much been vacant for a long time, are being refilled and the selective service "machinery" is being kept up to date. Ominous sounding, but really nothing to worry about IMO.
Health care system? That would be a first. So, T_J, after the troops in Iraq secure a democracy for the beleaguered citizens of Iraq, the majority of US troops will return home? That's what those poor kids are there to do, and once it's done, it's back to normal? Dude, IM me with your dealer's number.
Credibility? Dude, I posted *DIRECTLY FROM THE SELECTIVE SERVICE WEBSITE* -- not from "the liberals' latest shameful attempt at anti-Bush propaganda." Again -- directly from their website. I'm not sure how much more credible you can get. Maybe there will be a draft, maybe there won't -- but adding $28 million to the Selective Service budget and ordering them to be ready for conscription by June 15, 2005 is noteworthy, don't you think? But, like I said in the original post, don't take my word for it. Find out for yourself.
That's what I got out of the Salon.com article about it, as well. But the question does need to be asked as to why it is all of a sudden so gosh-darned important that these positions be refilled when, if things continue the way they have been, they won't have anything of substance to do. I mean, it's either a glimpse of what's to come, or it's a waste of taxpayer money. Either way, doesn't make me happy. It is very frightening to me that the possibility exists that the draft could be reinstated, and making these moves, harmless as they are in and of themselves, is at the very least, a bad political and bad public relations move. And, at worst, an ominous sign of what's to come in a second Bush administration. I am a lifelong Republican, and I think this is a bad idea. What are those who haven't been as loyal to the Republican Party as I have been going to think? Especially during a time when the support for the volunteer army fighting overseas has been becomming less strident. Us simple suburban folks aren't going to go for even the idea of sending our kids overseas to fight in these wars against their will. And staffing the draft boards is moving in that direction. There's no other reason to do it unless you at least think there might be a need to activate it.
