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Military.com Forums Hot Topics & Current Events Presidential Decision 2008: News & Views Obama calls on Americans to enlist|
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Experienced Member |
Obama calls on Americans to enlist
Wednesday Jul 2, 2008 COLORODO SPRINGS, Colo. — Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama included a pitch to enlist in the military in a speech here Wednesday about the need for Americans to be volunteers in all walks of life. Speaking before an audience that included military veterans, families of current service members and at least one military officer in uniform, Obama said Americans expected a call to serve after the 9/11 terrorist attacks “but the call never came.” Obama said he has met thousands of people who joined the military after 9/11, but the burden of serving the U.S. “has fallen exclusively ... on the backs of people in the military and their families, even though they have not received the care and support they deserve.” Part of Obama’s national security plan calls for a 65,000-person increase in the Army and a 27,000 increase in the Marine Corps. “We need to ease the burden on our troops while meeting the challenges of the 21st Century,” he said. “That is why I will call on a new generation of Americans to join our military.” But, in a related call that might diminish the number of people headed to military recruiters, Obama also said he wanted to increase the size of AmeriCorps, the program for domestic national service, to 250,000 people — a proposal that drew more applause than his call for military recruits from the audience at the campus of the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. AmeriCorps has just 75,000 slots for volunteers today. Obama aides said they did not see the AmeriCorps programs as competition with the military because AmeriCorps is open to people of all ages, and Obama proposes an aggressive program to recruit veterans who have already served in the military. Additionally, aides said that pay and benefits for service members, including the newly improved veterans’ educational benefits program, are far more generous than anything promised to volunteers for domestic service. Obama also said that as president, he would try to ease the burden of military service, with his boost in personnel levels a key part of that plan. “There is no challenge greater than the defense of our nation and our values,” he said. “A call to service must be backed by a sacred trust with anyone who puts on the uniform of the United States,” he said. “A young person joining our military must know that we will only send them into harm’s way when we absolutely must,” he said. Obama pledged that “we will provide them with the equipment needed to complete their mission safely, and deployments that allow adequate time back home. They must see that we will care for our military families while they are deployed and that we are providing our veterans with the support, benefits and opportunity that they have earned when they return home.” http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/07/military_obama_speech_070208w/ |
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Experienced Member |
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Basic Training |
He actually called for more Civil Service, like JFK. Notice how you didn't bold any words about the AmeriCorps getting a bigger applause than the military in a conservative town, Colorado Springs.
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"Resistance to reason is futile" |
All he is doing, is greasing the rails of mental preparedness in the event that he wins. That is when America will see the draft reimplemented.
After demonizing bush for the last six years over the threat of it, it will be the democrats who bring back the draft. What better way to get the burden off the under class and in the living room of middle America, than to reinstate the draft. Get ready folks cause it's coming. Compliments of your local Utopian relativist. |
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Basic Training |
.........Well said! If BHO wins (God forbid) he will need to reinstate the draft to stop the himrage of troops leaving the service after he puts heavy defense cuts into place! And YOU KNOW he will! |
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Member |
Cut defense, then re-instate the draft. How does that make sense? You can't have it both ways. You can't cut defense, then add countless more troops. You have to accuse him of doing one or the other. On a side note, there are 1,000 less troops on active duty today than when Bush took office. Still recovering from those Clinton defense cuts, eh? Jan 2001: 1,376,372 May 2008: 1,375,105 http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/MILITARY/Miltop.htm |
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suspended until member contacts moderator Mainedawg Moderator |
Nice Try! Defense cuts are not all about troop numbers. you can see the Clinton Defense cuts here: http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=18585#continueA |
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Member |
At this point, we are well into the Clinton presidency and the eleventh straight year of declining military budgets. The president and the Congress have slashed the defense budget to the point where, after adjusting for inflation, it is some 40% less than in 1985 during the second Reagan term. Now, in the waning days of his presidency, Bush is ready to rebuild. It’s not the economy, stupid, and there is no peace dividend. The world’s remaining superpower cannot run its military on the cheap. Those two sentences in bold contradict the entire point of the article. |
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Member |
Jan 2001? Bush took office Jan 20, 2001. http://www.whitehouse.gov/president/ From what I have seen on the link you provided is that they take the totals on the end of the month. So really it should be December 31, 2000- 1,372,352 May 31, 2008- 1,375,105 So that is really a 2,753 difference. |
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Continue to March. |
What I love is the statement the Nobamma made about all these values he had learned had been hibernating and then awoke??? What the hell is that, he had some sudden vision, like a light came down from heaven?
Give me a break . The more he opens his mouth the more transparent he becomes |
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Member |
The illustrious Senator Obama has called upon a new generation to volunteer for service (military, AmeriCorp, etc...). He could have enlisted after High School. He could have been given a commission after college. He chose neither. He is either abhorant to the idea, reluctant about it, or just plain afraid of serving himself (I didn't include money-grubbing in the private sector).
If he is so adamant about volunteering for something, why is the only thing he is volunteering for is the big ticket on the POTUS ride? Inquiring minds want to know. |
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Member |
So any member of congress without prior military service should not be encouraging people to volunteer? That's a pretty large number. |
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Basic Training |
........Sure he can. What are the current incentives for enlistments? It will not be needed if the draft is reinstated! Using Clinton as a model, the DNC's distain for the military and add in BHO's pandering to the far left and you'll get defense cuts and an increase in ridiculous social programs like tree husbandry of some s***! |
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Member |
Better than the Bush strategy for keeping numbers up in Iraq. Stop-loss and 15 month tours.
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Member |
I seem to remember Clinton pushing through welfare reform, which dropped the number of people on welfare around 50%. The same reform Bush just extended another 5 years. What other social programs did he increase? |
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Member |
Where the hell was Blowbama when young men and women were standing in lines to enlist after the WTC fell? Apparently he didn't notice that enlistment rates went soaring with kids wanting to get Bin Ladens head on a platter. SOme commander in chief he'll make. Your post story sounds like either he's blowing a smoke screen at those vets and their families or he's going to bring in the draft. He is correct in saying that there needs to be a better turn over to provide some sense of normalcy to those who return after months over there. But the military turns away a lot of people for weight problems or medical conditions. These people may not be battle ready but they can still do a job over here to keep things going. But there are also the chicken shmits like Blowbama who refuse to serve for fear of getting killed. You can get killed crossing the street on any given day. |
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Basic Training |
After 20 years in the military, why can't I believe a word Obie One says ? Maybe it's 20 years of looking over my shoulder wondering who's going to shoot me in the back and the instincts I have. Obie reminds me of the great "love" Clinton had for the military and the times Hillary cringed everytime a military member in uniform showed up at one of their White House parties. If, and that's IF Obie wins the election let's all take a look at what he's going to do for the military, but hide the silverware, your money and don't forget to lock the doors.
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Basic Training |
........K, I'll break it down for you. Clinton= defense (and intel) cuts. DNC= distain for the military, BHO= pandering to the far left. |
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Member |
Thanks for your wonderful and informative insight. The DNC pushed through a 3.5% pay raise Bush was against, and the new G.I. bill Republicans were against. |
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