Women compelled to register for draft? Could happen, experts say

WASHINGTON Tennnnnn-hut ladies!

The next time Uncle Sam comes calling, he's probably going to want you, too.

The Obama administration recently decided to lift the ban on women in combat. Legal experts and military historians say that decision has opened the door for a change in the law that currently compels only men between age 18 and 25 to register for a military draft.

Never before have women been drafted into military service. Neither the White House nor Congress are in a hurry to make them register for a future call-up.

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Women and combat

A draft would be enormously unpopular and adding women to the mix just isn't a priority for a battle-weary country nearing the end of more than a decade of war. Yet, legally, there may be no other choice, the experts say.

Separately, two lawmakers are waging a little-noticed campaign to abolish the Selective Service System altogether. That's the independent federal agency that manages draft registration.

They say the millions of dollars the agency spends each year preparing for the possibility of a military draft is a waste of money.

Reps. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., and Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., say the Pentagon has no interest in returning to conscription due to the success of the all-volunteer force.

The Selective Service has a budget of $24 million and a full-time staff of 130. It maintains a database of about 17 million potential male draftees. In the event of a draft, the agency would mobilize as many as 11,000 volunteers to serve on local draft boards that would decide if exemptions or deferments to military service were warranted.

The Selective Service is an "inexpensive insurance policy," said Lawrence Romo, the agency's director. "We are the true backup for the true emergency."

Men between the ages of 18 and 25 often register online or by mail. But those who don't register with the Selective Service can be charged with a felony. The Justice Department hasn't prosecuted anyone for that offense since 1986.

There can be other consequences, though. Failing to register can mean the loss of financial aid for college, being refused employment with the federal government, and denied U.S. citizenship.

DeFazio says it makes no sense to threaten to penalize men who don't register when the odds of a draft are so remote.

Attempts to get rid of the agency have failed, DeFazio says, because too many of his colleagues on Capitol Hill worry that closing Selective Service down will make them look weak on national security.

"There is no one who wants this except 'chicken hawk' members of Congress," DeFazio says, using a term to describe a person who pushes for the use of military power but never served in the armed forces.

[bilrobi1]

Women have served in the Israeli military for years. Also during WWII,RUssian women served in combat and apparently did quite well. This is not a new concept.

[B_Erhart]

"There is no one who wants this except 'chicken hawk' members of Congress,"

& Kenneth M. Pollack, Daniel L. Byman, Martin Indyk, Suzanne Maloney, Michael e. O'hanlon, Bruce Riedel

(Foreign country firsters)

...This means that the president would have to have such strong and enduring support from the american people that he would be able to con- duct the invasion and occupation of Iran employ- ing essentially only american resources and in the face of widespread international animosity. he might need to mobilize fully the National Guard as well as the army, Marine, and possibly Navy reserves and keep them in uniform for months or even years if there is considerable Iranian re- sistance, as there may well be. in worst-case sce- narios, the president might even need to ask the american people to accept some form of limited 'Conscription'. if the occupation of Iran were to go badly, there might be considerable american ca- sualties for long periods of time—possibly even more than in Iraq at its worst because of the more difficult terrain, the likely greater hostility of the populace, and the greater proficiency in guerrilla warfare of the Iranian military.

The Saban Center at The Brookings Institution Page 71

Which Path To Persia? options for a New american Strategy toward Iran

June 2009

[B_Erhart]

http://www.timesofisrael.com/obama-to-tell-netanyahu-us-gearing-up-for-strike/

[holalanemeir]

Send any one of Mitt's boys-wait they are in the Caymans.

[oldoc44]

One would hope the branches of service do some "sorting" when they allocate jobs and assignments towhomever is best able to do it. If it's a combat role, those best fitted should be in those groups. Incredible ammount of "non-combat" roles that are equally critical that should not be seen as being slighted somehow. Everyone SHOULD be registered for draft and those who are capable put in jobs as needed - women or men. However, filling those non-combat roles could actually save us a lot of numbers and $ if the selection/suitability process for jobs is used. Common sense should prevail!

[jeffkro]

"the Pentagon has no interest in returning to conscription due to the success of the all-volunteer force."

This is basically a luxury. If you got into a large land war with a country like China or Russia there is no way you could handle it with the current number of volunteers. Of course I doubt this is a likely scenario.

[Stringbeing]

During Bush's early years, military recruiters couldn't fill their quotas. With unemployment low, and high wages nobody wanted to enlist. So they did a "back door draft" and very possibly, sabotaged the economy. Now they are turning them away.

We won't go back to a traditional draft as long as the DemocratsandRepublicans are in power. They've learned that a few trillion dollar bailouts to their campaign contributors will fix everything.

[sy2502]

As a woman I am offended by the thought of having to be sheltered and kept away from harm like some piece of china. Women have as much right and duty to defend their country as men.
But while we are at it, I'd like to see a real effort to stop the rampant sexism by the men in the military, and especially the harassment and assaults. At my work I am expected to behave professionally toward my colleagues of the opposite sex. Sexist comments and inappropriate conduct are not tolerated in any way. I find it appalling that the people we arm and send to fight in our behalf are held to much poorer standards. Since military people like so much to throw around words like "honor" and "character", let's see them actually PRACTICE those qualities, instead of just filling their big mouths with them.

[usnewscorruptt]

men are 35% stronger than women and less prone to injury. there are exceptions but not enough to justify weeding out the exceptions all for the purpose of "empowering" women. let men do things that they are physically capable of doing better than women, especially when life and death is involved.

[jeffkro]

Its not necessarily for your benefit but for reproduction. If you look at some of the past wars countries lost an entire generation of men in their prime. If they had also lost an entire generation of women in prime reproductive years the problem would have been ten fold.

[mary-miami]

This is wrong. No one should be forced to be in military. Whether man or woman, the military should be composed of people who want to be there. Everyone doesn't have the personality or character to go to a war zone. There are currently plenty of people who volunteer; and that's enough.

[oldoc44]

A "professional" armed force might be good since they WANT to be there and aren't coerced to be exceptional fighters. Maybe not so many bogus "disability" and PTSD claims that way too! This ain't the Boy Scouts or the employer of last resort either!

[Non-Political]

"Reps. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., and Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., say the Pentagon has no interest in returning to conscription due to the success of the all-volunteer force."

Are these idiots for real?!!! The success of the all-volunteer force is all well and good but to rely upon a small force of personnel to protect the US and it interests is STUPID!

Look at the current wars as they were in recent history. THE SAME TROOPS were going there for six months or more, come back for three to six months and get redeployed again. Not just once but multiple times! And has anyone looked at the implications of psychological trauma these troops could and/or do have? Ya, success of the all-voluntary military my a$$! These two representatives (of what they represent other then DUMB, I don't know) need to take a close look at our combat veterans first before opening their mouths.

I'll bet my pension that THEIR dam kids won't and wouldn't serve just they haven't served in the past (except for a very, very few of them).

[Transatlantique]

For people to think that all men are the same is erroneous. All men aren't qualified to fight in wars, and I'm sure the same holds true for women. There are tough women and gentle women just as there are tough men and gentle men. This is why the whole concept of a draft is nothing but slavery to fund wars that are started by those who profit from wars. If registration for conscription isn't abolished on the grounds that it is in fact slavery, then women should have to be victims of that slavery as men have unfairly tolerated for too long.

[Non-Political]

trans,

Do you have even the remotest clue as to just what a draft does and why it is implemented? My guess is you don't. Do a little research as to why conscription is at times necessary.