Can't post the link, but evidently you have to apply but can do it online. Goes back to 2001, $500 a month. Thought this was dead in the water but evidently the Army has already processed aprx. 2000 applications. If it applies you should check it out.

Of course its still in effect. How else would you keep a volunteer military together without Bonuses and stop loss money? Heavens forbid they had to consider conscription at an affordable rate.

quote:

Originally posted by john2x:
Heavens forbid they had to consider conscription at an affordable rate.

I think you were being sarcastic - but I agree with your actual words. We currently have a far more professional and skilled force than we did with conscript troops. You get what you pay for, and forcing people in doesn't get you an effective and motivated force.

quote:

Originally posted by BobApril:

quote:

Originally posted by john2x:
Heavens forbid they had to consider conscription at an affordable rate.

I think you were being sarcastic - but I agree with your actual words. We currently have a far more professional and skilled force than we did with conscript troops. You get what you pay for, and forcing people in doesn't get you an effective and motivated force.

We currently have a far more professional and skilled force than we did with conscript troops.


How would that be possible when with a conscription you get to pick from the very best in any field necessary. And best yet its at a sustainable cost with the ability to have a military force large enough to confront any situation and multiple fronts when needed.

quote:

Originally posted by john2x:
How would that be possible when with a conscription you get to pick from the very best in any field necessary. And best yet its at a sustainable cost with the ability to have a military force large enough to confront any situation and multiple fronts when needed.

I suppose, in some imaginary draft policy where the military actually gets to pick and choose who comes in, and gets to select the best people in related fields, taking them away from their civilian jobs - yeah, that MIGHT work. You'd still have the problem of motivating these enslaved...pardon me, I mean conscripted troops. After all, anyone who is yanked out of their comfortable civilian life and forced to place their life on the line for their country is likely to be a little resentful.

But of course, that's never been the way conscription has worked. In general, it involves some sort of lottery system. We don't get the best and the brightest, we get a random selection. Even that is subject to exemptions and exceptions - and those usually end up applying to just those experts you suggest we might get, as they're too valuable in their civilian occupations to part with.

Morale and esprit de corps are very useful force multipliers. Both are heavily damaged by the inclusion of conscript troops.

A draft is also a bad idea simply on libertarian principles. Frankly, if a country cannot inspire enough citizens to defend it voluntarily, then I question whether it deserves to be defended.

quote:

Frankly, if a country cannot inspire enough citizens to defend it voluntarily, then I question whether it deserves to be defended.

Fortunately America has never nor will ever experience that problem in times when America is attacked or its national security is truely threatened.

quote:

Originally posted by john2x:

quote:

Frankly, if a country cannot inspire enough citizens to defend it voluntarily, then I question whether it deserves to be defended.

Fortunately America has never nor will ever experience that problem in times when America is attacked or its national security is truely threatened.

Very true, we never have, though I'd not say "never will" - forever is a long time. No, it seems that our difficulty in maintaining the military is when we send them out on questionable foreign adventures. Vietnam being the most-cited example...but I think we had a lot more support for our troops in Afghanistan before we diverted our attention to Iraq.

Maybe with our all volunteer, highly trained and skilled force we will win a war someday.

quote:

Maybe with our all volunteer, highly trained and skilled force we will

not have to be at war.

quote:

Originally posted by Duster6:
Maybe with our all volunteer, highly trained and skilled force we will win a war someday.

If the folks in the White House would let us actually fight a war, we would.

quote:

Originally posted by BobApril:

quote:

Originally posted by john2x:
Heavens forbid they had to consider conscription at an affordable rate.

I think you were being sarcastic - but I agree with your actual words. We currently have a far more professional and skilled force than we did with conscript troops. You get what you pay for, and forcing people in doesn't get you an effective and motivated force.

If that were true we'd just hire mercenaries to fight our wars.