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WASHINGTON, May 26, 2005 -- Lawmaker Says Desperate Measures to Bolster Dwindling Recruitment Highlight Concerns About an Impending Collapse of the Voluntary System
Congressman Charles Rangel today announced the reintroduction of his legislation to reinstate the military draft.
"I oppose the war in Iraq, but I support the military and the men and women who serve in it," Congressman Rangel said. "What is happening now indicates to me that the entire volunteer system is in danger of collapse under the weight of the burden being placed on those who are serving."
The Congressman's decision to reintroduce his draft legislation now was prompted in part by the growing crisis in military recruiting, which in recent months has suffered a 30 percent decline in enlistments, endangering the long-term viability of the U.S. military.
A symptom of the military's problems was the recent announcement of the Army's intention to allow recruits to sign up for 15 months of active duty service rather than the typical four-year enlistment. This effort to make military service more attractive to recruits is the shortest active-duty requirement ever.
"In rejecting the draft, the Pentagon has argued for years that volunteers wanted to fight and draftees were reluctant. The Secretary of Defense even belittled the sacrifices of Vietnam draftees. They also argued that recruits needed more time for training in order to handle today's high tech systems--not less. This decision shatters the myth of the superiority of the volunteer military while exposing the hypocrisy of the Pentagon's arguments," Congressman Rangel said.
The Army has failed to meet its recruiting goals in successive months since last February, despite increasing enlistment bonuses to $30,000 and enlarging the corps of recruiters, among whom there have been widespread reports of fraud committed under the pressure of meeting their monthly quotas.
"Everyone knows that we went into this war with an insufficient number of troops, but the problem now is filling the ranks of those units that are already on the ground," Congressman Rangel said. "We are only able to keep troops in field by extending deployments, calling back veterans who have previously served in combat and placing an unsustainable burden on the Reserves, who typically were attracted by the extra income they could earn after serving on active duty.
"These practices have devastated the troops' morale, made life more difficult for military families, and in many cases caused the loss of civilian jobs, homes and even marriages."
Congressman Rangel, a Purple Heart and Bronze Star veteran of the Korean War, first introduced legislation to reinstate the draft in January 2003. The bill was defeated by the House of Representatives in a surprise vote in October 2004. Many critics, including Congressman Rangel, believed that the vote was an effort by the Republican leadership to end widespread rumors of President Bush's intention to resort to conscription after the 2004 election.
As in the 108th Congress, the new bill would cover all men and women, 18-26 years of age. It would make military service compulsory for the number determined by the President or alternative national civilian service for those remaining. The length of active duty service would be reduced to 15 months, in line with the recent change announced by the Army. As before, deferments for education would be permitted only through completion of high school, up to age 20, and for reasons of health or conscience.
"The longer we stay in Iraq and the more Americans are killed, and the less attractive military service appears to potential recruits, the closer the country will move toward a decision on the draft," Congressman Rangel said.
"The American people lost confidence in this war long ago, and now that parents are discouraging their children from volunteering, we are faced with a situation in which the most disadvantaged young people from areas of high unemployment will be even more likely to carry the greatest share of the burden," Congressman Rangel said. "If the President wants to do something right now, he should publicly appeal to all Americans to make a personal sacrifice to benefit the war effort."
"Despite the evidence to the contrary, it is just too easy for the President to give assurances that our military would be available and ready to carry out regime change, wherever and whenever he and his advisors want to, whether in Iraq, Iran, Syria or North Korea," Congressman Rangel said.
"The President said in his State of the Union address that war was an option that remained on the table in dealing with these countries. In my view, the war option would not be on the table if the people being placed in harm's way were children of White House officials, members of Congress or CEOs in the boardrooms. As other people's children endure a grinding war, they have been given huge tax cuts, while our veterans have gotten cuts in health benefits," Congressman Rangel said.
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