Joint Chiefs: Change Course, Start Draft Or Lose Army
By Nicole Belle Tuesday Apr 01, 2008 2:30pmYou knew it couldn't last much longer.
In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday, Army Vice Chief of Staff General Richard Cody sternly rebuked all those who've been blowing sunshine and spreading baseless happy talk for five years with regard to the war in Iraq. And he was blunt--blunter than I've ever heard him before--about the crisis facing the Army. He even went so far as to hint at the "D-word" in his prepared remarks:
Today's Army is out of balance. The current demand for our forces in Iraq and Afghanistan exceeds the sustainable supply and limits our ability to provide ready forces for other contingencies . . . Current operational requirements for forces and insufficient time between deployments require a focus on counterinsurgency training and equipping to the detriment of preparedness for the full range of military missions.
Given the current theater demand for Army forces, we are unable to provide a sustainable tempo of deployments for our Soldiers and Families. Soldiers, Families, support systems, and equipment are stretched and stressed by the demands of lengthy and repeated deployments, with insufficient recovery time. Equipment used repeatedly in harsh environments is wearing out more rapidly than programmed. Army support systems, designed for the pre-9/11 peacetime Army, are straining under the accumulation of stress from six years at war. Overall, our readiness is being consumed as fast as we build it.
And then he added the kicker:
If unaddressed, this lack of balance poses a significant risk to the All-Volunteer Force and degrades the Army's ability to make a timely response to other contingencies.
Anyone with a lick of sense (which clearly does not include anyone in the Bush administration) has known that the military is stretched to the breaking point. But this is not what the White House nor the RNC wants to hear during an election year. Will they listen to the generals now?
At what point does incompetence become criminal enough to impeach?
BLESS HIM !!!!!!!!!
LIKE WHOA!!!
McCain will shift his position to "I hate war dammit!!!"
If you let em , the boosh admin would start a "Dirty Dozen" style of recruitment using federal prison convicts. They'll do anything for their war profits except starting a draft.
Sachem @ 1:
When the Republican somehow becomes a Democrat.
You know, when you have a General stating it as blunt as that, you know you have a problem. What the General is saying is that all ground forces are committed. The reserve and national guard are all part of this rotation cycle . Simply put, there are no available ground troops to deploy if something flares up. The only other way to do it is to pull troops from somewhere else which may include Iraq.
Reinstate the draft and this war will be over in less than six months. As long as this administration sends someone elses children to war it's OK. When you start to send their children, it will come to a screeching halt.
Thanks General Cody but no one listens to the people either.
I have written a memo which now has the irrefutable force of law stating that the President may begin conscription at any time without input from Congress pursuant to his eminent powers during wartime.
Oh that brave general is fired already...
Sachem @ 1:
Even if its not considered criminal (which I think it is as well) one can still say that this Administration has grossly abused and over extended the military to such an extent that it has put the national security of the United States at severe risk.
Thank you, General Cody for your service and honesty. But you might want to get ready to resign. Agreeing with and kissing Dubya's ass is an administration prerequisite.
In the words of John Murtha:
"The American People are WAY ahead of this on this."
I say let them try to reinstate the draft...push that little jewel through the second do-nothing Congress in a row...Nancy will get on her knees for them gladly, and you know what, you'll see mobs of people in the streets all over our broken country and maybe finally our families can come home from Iraq for good. The next Administration will think long and hard before they make our military attack another country for no good reason. A big HOORAH for Gen. Cody.
How's that surge workin' out for ya George?
Is this where Blackwater steps in?
Somebody better listen to this man.
Herr dubyah is a traitor.
If case anyone cares:
"Name not Earl" is not me ....
In case
But who will ask the candidates about their stand on the draft? That question has nothing to do with race, religion, historical blowjobs, or a Viet Namese prison camp some 40 fucking years ago.
You say 'Draft', we say 'Blackwater'
---George and Dick
Bush doesn't want to set a time line for leaving but it sounds like a time line will be set due to necessity. We'll leave when we run out of soldiers and equipment.
Bush is trying to hold out and make it the next President's problem. He doesn't care what our guys are going through. I say "Draft", send everyone in favor of this war straight to Iraq. Let the one's who say they are to old cook, clean, mop, do laundry, assist the medics in the field, do community service work, replace some of the contractors (for military pay). I said a year ago this would end if they reinstated the draft. Then everybody would be bi^ching for the war to end.
Most young people today don't know what it's like to open up an envelope that says,
http://www.namsense.com/images/Draft%20Notice.jpg
Actually I can see where we could easily in the not to far off future go to mandatory military service. War or no war.
JerryO @ 13:
If the next president is McCain, it won't even slow him down.
L.A. Confidential @ 22:
Some of the "punk" kids in my area would wet their pants if they got that letter.
Can you imagine the nightmare it would be to take ground forces and their equipment that have done multiple tours in a desert environment and then suddenly drop them into an arctic or alpine environment without the proper gear or preparation training? This is also what we are talking about. There simply is no training time or manpower set aside for other possible hot spots that may flare up at any given moment.
I think General Cody wants to retire.
Joint Chiefs: Change Course, Start Draft Or Lose Army
http://inpgay.friendly.free.fr/images/guiness.JPG
"These are a few of my favorite things..."
lol! that shit is funny and sad all in the same wack!
yes start a draft... with NO EXCEPTIONS.... goodbye wars or goodbye rich kids?
we know the answer to that one.
I wonder what John McCain thinks of this? Im sure we can rely on the establishment media to ask him the tough questions.
John Yoo @ 9:
That's inherent, some say imminent, but I suspect you're getting crossed with Eminent Domain.
L.A. Confidential @ 22:
LOL !! You got that straight brother. And all these folks who "think" they are actually part of the republican party (instead of just being used and abused by them) will have to think twice now, if in fact they still have the ability to think. Their youngsters will be getting notices and will have to be hauled out of their rooms away from playing computer-war to get ready for the real thing.
Sachem @ 1:
how about the simple fact that the war is illegal?
how about the simple fact that torture is illegal?
Shredder @ 30:
Right now I'm sure McCain would say he doesn't believe a draft is necessary....(not during his campaign) But of the three, I'm thinking McCain would be least opposed to it.
Of course bush will listen.
He said he will listen to the generals on the ground. Was General Cody on the ground when he spoke?
Cody says that our troops being in Iraq and Afghanistan "... limit our ability to provide ready forces for other contingencies." Pray tell, what other contingencies, to invade and occupy other countries for absolutely no justifiable reason whatsoever? The United States already has the largest military in the world with the largest defense budget by far, which is more than any other country in the world. If anything, the Pentagon should be decreasing those forces in order to send a message to the world that the U.S. has no more plans in engaging in any more acts of American imperialism around the world. One wonders how many schools and hospitals and libraries and infrastructure around the country could be built if the U.S cut its military budget by at least half. With call for more troops levels to be increased, it is no wonder that so many countries fear and loathe the United States.
You domain!
subtle hint: presidential order 51 will call for blackwater and force ministries to take domestic action in the event of an incident within the confines of the US borders.
I guess he's bucking for early retirement.
JackMormon @ 7:
Well it would have to be tweaked - that if you were breathing you had to register.
No exceptions. No deferments..............yep - it would be over really fast.
ronhohn @ 35:
At one time boosh was a military officer on the ground
Passed out after a night of drinking.
ronhohn @ 35:
nah! he was in a chair.
It is such a crime!!!
We need to spend a lot more money on the war.
Thise bastards just won't spend the money WE NEED to do it RIGHT!!
This is what the DEMS are left with attacking from the right.
More money more war!!
Conscientious Objector ~ http://www.objector.org/coclaim.html
Quick!!! Bring the robot army online!!!!
Part of the Bushco plan -- force the Democrats to start a draft, which will result in riots and deep resentment. Brilliant if not diabolical.
ysbaddaden @ 41:
It must have lasted two days because of all that cocaine.
Bring it on! That would be the easiest way to REALLY sway public opinion.
I'd prefer a draft system to the backdoor operation in place right now.
Every kid I know who signed up for the National Guard or Armed Forces ended up getting sent to a war zone and feeling totally deceived and betrayed.
They lure them with prospects of careers, college money and excitement, telling them it's not likely they'll have to fight any time soon, if ever. Next thing they know, as soon as they finish basic training they are pulled out of college and shipped overseas.
My 15 year old got a mailer yesterday from the navy - an exciting glossy prospectus with a promise of $180,000 in college money. If we weren't smarter, or if we had faith in the Government, we'd have no reason to question it. The system is sick.
Rangel already introduced a bill back in Jan of ’03:
“Under his bill, the draft would apply to men and women ages 18 to 26; exemptions would be granted to allow people to graduate from high school, but college students would have to serve.”
http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/01/07/rangel.draft/
Legislation similar to this would be a death knell to the neo-con movement since it would put an end to unprovoked war which is their mainstay.
Liberal AND Proud @ 45:
Okay, who's got quarters to start the damn things!!!
Erroll @ 36:
The U.S. has the largest technologically advanced military force (I.E. advanced armor, aircraft, war ships) but does not have a large amount of infantry or special forces to spare because all are deployed or are currently engaged.
CoIntelPro - against Divisive Democrats @ 47:
What with E Coli being found in water now, will we soon be drinking Coca Coli?
This General will fallow Fallon.
McWar= Draft.
ysbaddaden @ 50:
Well, the government could sell off a bank or two.
I'm sure the Regressives will try to blame this all on Clinton.42 gutting the military.
Lose the army
I am of two minds about the draft. I was drafted or I should say I got a real low draft lottery number and chose rather than to be drafted into the Army joined the Navy. I feel that is has been much to easy for people to send other peoples children into the meat grinder of war. Mostly poor disenfranchised children are in the all voluntary military and mainly for the educational opportunities. A draft would be good to even out the sacrifice to the other income levels. Then again it didn't stop 50,000 of my generation from dieing needlessly in Vet Nam.
Will they listen to the generals now? Fuck no. This won't make them start. A broken Armed Forces is part of their scorched-earth policy. They've all but ceded the race to the Democrats. They just want to limit their losses. George, Dick and the Republicans want to leave their entire mess for the next President to try to clean up. That includes a draft.
Obstructed at every turn, our next President (D) will have a difficult time of it. He'll be forced to make difficult decisions. All of the standard GOP bullshit about how Democrats are weak on security, foreign policy, the economy, etc., will be a self-fulfilling prophecy. The MSM will buy into it and spread it. Presto Change-O. We have a one term Democratic Presidency.
-AF
Andrew Sullivan Is A Fraud
It takes a LOT of soldiers to occupy Iraq for at least another hundred years, as John McCain has expressly said will be necessary under his plan. So of course there must be a draft at some point. Maybe not for us, but probably for our kids or grandkids.
Your Kids and Grandkids in Iraq! McCain '08!
Back before Cody was a Commander:
http://www.geocities.com/c_cosimano/cody1.JPG
RayC @ 57:
My husband joined the Navy for the same reason you did and about the same time. He ended up being sent to Spain.
earl @ 19:
~zactly.
the privateers are all amped about total privatization of the armed forces. so much money to be made thru the killing of foreigners, so much money. and accountability? hee hee, accountability, one thing the past 3 decades have taught us: privatization means zero accountability.
which begs the question:
in a situation where our armed forces are under private corporate control, what does that do to article I section 8?
psst, "developing" world, watch out. united fruit's use of our armed forces to bolster their bottom line will be dwarfed by what is yet to come.
Oopsie before he Cody was a General.
Read the book "Blackwater" and you'll have nightmares. They have enough forces to overtake a small country.
On anther note, I think the General knows also that even if a draft were started today it would take some time to round of the draftees, weed out who is qualified and who is not and then send them off for training. Not to mention the fact that the draftee training will more than likely be twice as long as it was during the Vietnam war since the military today is a lot more sophisticated than it was back then. My guess, if said draft were started today, the military would need at least 6 months to a year or more to get the first troops at least somewhat trained for the particular MOS they are assigned to.
I hope General Cody has a cushy job lined up in the civilian world. The warmongers don't want facts to intrude on their dystopian delusions.
Yeah, lets re-instate the draft, but this time around, no deferments,all males and females, upon reaching the age of 18 years of age automatically are inducted into the armed forces for 6 months of basic training and advanced individual training and then they go in-active and go to 2 weeks training every summer until their 6 year obligation is fulfilled.If these draftee's are activated for duty they should be assigned to non-combat duty so the troops that enlisted could be freed up for combat duty. As combat escolates then ,and only then ,would draftees be used to fill the void.P.S. If there are people still in high school when they are drafted,tough shit, they can finish school after their 6 month military obligation is completed.The only people who would be exempted from the draft would be those who physically and mentally can not tolerate the training.That would make these ass hole chicken hawks think l-o-o-o-ng and h-a-a-a-rd about doing something stupid, like maybe, starting a war with a nation that did nothing to us, to begin with.If the draft isn't played out in this manner I will sell everything I have in order that my kids could go to Canada or where ever to avoid this mess!
I foresee another forced retirement.
BREAKING NEWS:
"General Richard Cody resigns as U.S. Army Vice Chief of Staff..."
Even if they had the troops today, the general says the equipment is for shit. Wasn't there recently a report about the pentagon's budget being enormously screwed up? Where is all that money going and why don't we have enough money to equip the soldiers? We had enough money to bail out a major bank.
L.A. Confidential @ 22:
Most young people don't even open up envelopes....period.
ysbaddaden @ 60:
That must have been when then Lt. Cody was assigned to the OSS during WW II. lol
POP I spent a year at Adak Alaska and 3 years on a Destroyer Tender (USS Samual Gompers AD37) touring Taiwan, Japan, Viet Nam, Philippines, and Hong Kong.
The way I see it, the people that need to get the message won't be touched by a draft; their kids wouldn't be going anywhere. Oh, wait! Their constituency will turn on them, you say? You mean those mindless, flag-waving, scoreboard-watching, bedwetting, idiots that call themselves republicans? Hell: all the elite rich repubs and their filthy proxies in Congress have to do is wave something shiny in front of them like gay marriage, terrr'ism-gonna-gitcha, or immigration and they will be right back to chanting "USA! USA! USA!" while their kids are getting shipped off to be used up in illegal occupations of other countries. But it WON'T be the kids of the wealthy, elite, or GOP political families.
RMHK @ 21:
Peace achieved in
5
...4
.......3
...........2
..............1 seconds after that occurs.
Samson- @ 62:
Not to mention that having practically no National Guard at home in the US creates a huge
opportunisorry, ahem, need for Private firms to bring their Sunglasses and black SUVs to a neighborhood near you. Awe$ome!Bring the troops home = no draft.
RayC @ 72:
My husband never set foot aboard a ship. He will admit he got a cushy assignment because he was in Spain the whole time.
big iron @ 67:
Lets send Bill Crystal, Sean Hannity, and Tucker Carlson and all those FOX farts over there.
Dr. Hussien Matt @ 71:
"Hey, mom. My credit card bill came in the mail. Here. [insolent toss] I'm gonna go play Guitar Hero."
Well, there goes his career. Good for him.
The neocons will never institute a draft, just as they will never implement taxes to pay for their wars without end. They know that if all Americans are compelled to directly share a portion of the true burden and the true cost and expense of waging these illegal wars, that the jig will be up. Being able to hide these burdens and costs, to such degreee that most people can choose to indulge in a fantasy that there are no burdens or costs, is premeditated and crucial strategy of the neocons and warmongers. One more indication of their lying and manipulative natures, and their pathological unfitness for influence or power.
Will draft notices come by texting?
ysbaddaden @ 81:
And be announced on American Idol.
greg @ 78:
Who will they get to host the Oscars?
pissed off patricia @ 70:
You've got that right, PoP. The Pentagon is almost $300 billion over budget and YEARS behind in getting equipment ordered. But, of course, we've got hundreds of billions to bail out the banks to mitigate the "credit crunch". The government printing presses must be running 24/7 to print out those almost valueless greenbacks!
There are a lot of kids today who pay no attention to discipline. They have none at home since mom and dad are working to pay for all the "toys" the kids think they need. You can just hear those kids if they received a draft notice. They would say, hell no I'm not going and toss the notice in the trash. What an awakening those kids would have.
Rusty America Shackleford @ 82:
Then Paula Abdul can slither drunkenly all over the hunkiest recruits.
Guess all the republicans will be joining up for the National Guard again....
If anyone thinks the draft will balance the scales between the haves who do not sign up for the military and the have nots who do, you are badly mistaken.
Take a look at just who has and has not served (current administration/government) and their family connections. The Bush/Cheney/Limbaugh's of the world will always have an excuse to weasel out of service if it means putting their worthless lives on the line.
I'll renounce my citizenship and move my daughter and son to another country before I let anyone draft them into a war their own children and grandchildren won't serve in.
pissed off patricia @ 77:
Your husband was lucky. When I was in the Marines I was on the Iwo Jima (LPH-2) in a berthing area with about 60 other Marines. It was so cramped in there with men and equipment it stunk most of the time and was hot. Although, I was lucky. At least I had something to look at during my time on the ship. Each night when we hit the bunk I would look at the bottom of the bunk above mine and see another Marine's drawing of a woman with her legs spread. Above the picture as I recall, he wrote: "I bet you wish you were here. L/cpl Martinez, Khe Sanh Vietnam". There were other names there from different time periods so I added mine to it.