In my view, there are only three possible solutions:
- (Whispered) Reinstitute the Draft. Much easier said, then done. Today's draft-age population have never directly experienced a draft, and may even rebel at the very prospects of one. I find it probable, under the present laws, that the Selective Service Act could be found to be unconstitutional, if challenged, as it requires the involuntary servitude of males only. As a minimum, it's a political career-killer that very few politicians would have the nerve to take on. ``Reinstating a fair military draft to fill U.S. military ranks would be harder to do than in the past, and an unfair one might do more harm than good,'' says Secretary of the Army Louis Caldera. ``Only as a last resort,'' says Rep. Herbert Bateman, R- Va., chairman of the House Armed Services subcommittee on readiness.
- Dramatically Increase Pay and Benefits. Can we afford it? Remember, we would have to, at a minimum, restore pay and benefits which have been purposefully and significantly cut for over 20 years. We are talking several 100s of billions (that's billions, with a "B") of dollars here. Additionally, we would have to make up for the broken promises we made to our vets and retirees in able to get these "invisible recruiters" back on our side. Even this may not be enough. It's relatively easy these days to get a student loan or grant for college, without promising four years of military service. And -- as long as the economy looks good -- why sit in a tent in Kosovo when you can make the same amount of money working behind a desk in Omaha?
- Cut Back on Deployments. Any way you look at it, we must reduce the amount of time we require our military personnel to be deployed away from their families, if we are going to keep anyone in the service after the initial four year enlistment. This means we must either stop using the U.S. military as an easy way to achieve our foreign policy objectives (good luck -- once Pandora's box was opened, it couldn't be closed again), or we have to increase our active duty strength to a size large enough to reduce the amount of time a person is required to be deployed.
Of these three solutions, the draft would be the cheapest, and probably easiest to institute -- however, at this time it's the most politically unlikely. Times may change, however, and may change rather quickly. Active duty members have learned that lesson over the past few years. And -- folks are starting to whisper.............
