A New Idea For Compulsory Military Service Availability

It’s not a question of to have or not to have. It’s a constitutional responsibility imposed upon Americans in Article I., Section 8. of our Constitution, wherein the enumerated powers of Congress are noted and among them are “To raise and support Armies,..” and “To provide and maintain a Navy;”.  This plan does NOT meet the definition of  “conscription”. It does NOT mandate service or even service by draft as it has a voluntary choice element to it at the inception. What it DOES is to mandate to Law an ‘availability to serve’ . Many under this plan will likely never be called, but they will be available.

My Suggested Plan
1. I would institute a draft “registration”, wherein males ONLY would know that immediately upon graduation from high school they would be required by Law to fulfill a mandatory 3 year military obligation to their nation. This being a necessity to meet that aforenoted constitutional responsibility. NO exclusions and VERY limited exceptions (examples being for those who are convicted felons, physically disabled and/or mentally disabled). The new Law that would create this system would include a statement acknowledging that when it comes to defending our country that role traditionally, and generally, has been a male responsibility.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell would become an expunged protocol and homosexuals would NOT be accepted nor tolerated in the armed forces. All males would be required to register with the Selective Service upon entering their junior year of high school . At this time they would be asked on the registration form if they wished to enlist upon graduation in order to get their choice of service. It would be explained that by enlisting they’d be doing so for three years of active duty service regardless of branch of service chosen. It would also be noted that females would only be eliminated from the “Compulsory Military Service Availability” requirement”,  NOT from voluntarily enlisting. Females would NOT serve in front-line combat positions in any branch of armed forces.
Rationale: Immature kids and those with behavioral problems would not be dumped on society and into colleges for which they are ill-prepared in the main. They would have the option of serving their obligation in a service branch of their own choice or accepting a draft call, based upon “the needs of the service” at a given time. As to women serving, there is NO need to encumber our daughters and mothers with such a ‘mandatory’ responsibility. In times of war THEY are needed at home. This is NOT an equal rights issue, it’s a ‘who’s responsible for and to what’ issue. Most importantly our male youth would, over the period of time that this is phased in, come to understand that there is an inherent patriotic responsibility that each generation has to assume if a nation is to survive. What I’m talking about here is a ready “pool” of  men ready, able and fit to serve, but not necessarily needed at a particular time to serve. That defines why a draft registration process is needed. It’s up to Congress to finally establish levels of manpower needed for each branch of service. Those who were drafted and couldn’t make it through basic training would be discharged with “Unfit for Military Service” certificates that would be their adult start in civilian life, but before that, they’d be given the option to serve in another capacity to be determined by codified public law. A National Disaster Service Corps, operated under FEMA authority, BUT controlled directly by committees of Congress consisting of committees in BOTH houses come to mind as a possible option. The title indicates the ‘limited’ usage of such and oversight is transferred to Congress and away from being a tool of the Executive Branch. Since FEMA is actually an Executive Branch department.  This sharing of control respects the Separation of Powers intent in our Constitution. A ‘domestic’ army under the thumb of an Obama-like, social order and  social engineering control freakazoid President and Executive Branch would NOT meet that standard. After some few years of existence this registration process would become anticipated routine just like high school following junior high. As there would be very limited exceptions and  no exclusions the rich man and poor man’s sons would be accorded equal responsibility in such a system and share common ground, maybe the only time they ever will. Educational deferments would no longer exist. That includes the politicians’ sons. It would make commitment to any war venture not at all a “given” and those whom we elect might be all the more circumspect about how they advise and consent to authorize war when THEIR sons are also being sent off!

2. All males would be required to register with the Selective Service upon entering their junior year of high school . At the start of their senior high school year all would sit for an indoctrination to explain the system and the ramifications of the system on them.
Rationale: The point to be made here is that the total needs of the annual armed forces requirements would be highest in the first few years of the system and likely lessen as some of those who entered decided to stay and make the military a career. In any event…it, the “annual draft”, would only be a small percentage of those ‘registered’, possibly even satisfied by the number who elect to volunteer for the branch of their choice. The number of registered who were not needed to meet the DOD requirements for all branches of service would become the eligible pool in the event of declared war and increased personnel needs. It is THAT POOL that we have NO provisions for now and are in dire need of. It may even make sense to require those in ‘the pool’ to serve their reserve obligation ‘ up front’ and be available for a two to three week period annually while in that “pool”. In that manner a reserve pool has at least a minimal amount of preparedness training when the need to actually serve during wartime comes to pass.

3. Prior to graduation those who wished to elect their choice of service branch would so indicate and also provide a secondary choice. Each year the DOD (Dept of Defense) would determine how many new recruits for each branch of service would be required and those would be selected by a computer generated process that would select from a master alphabetized, by surname, list. If, for example, 10% of the available pool were needed the computer would select every tenth name.
Rationale: Such a system satisfies the armed forces needs and is as fair and equitable as reasonably possible. After such a system had been in place for 5 or 6 years, I submit that enough young people in all branches would have re-enlisedt, indicative of making the military a career. That goes to building a more efficient, well-trained and professional armed forces at the ready at all times. Need to access the draft pool would the likely only occur during actual wartime periods.

4. Those who could not meet the health standard minimum requirements and conscientious objecters judged to be legitimate would be offered the option to serve in a local chapter of the Natural Disaster Service Corps doing bookkeeping, liason or communications functions. The NDSC would be a program setup and administered by the federal government. Stringent standards would be enforced with latitude granted in only single, case-by-case individual reviews and by a review board formed for just that purpose. Board rulings would have to be unanimous and have only a single instance right of appeal.
Rationale: The advantages are obvious as the society needs are satisfied and these young people have a hands-on, one-on-one lesson in reality to help inculcate them with a ‘sense of responsibility’ at a time in their lives where the present experience is diametrically opposite.

Conclusion:

This is a completely equitable and workable plan in my opinion. It should be obvious that I’ve given it much though. I’d appreciate you giving it as much before you criticize it.