Senate panel calls for women to sign up for military draft

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

May 12, 9:19 PM EDT

Senate panel calls for women to sign up for military draft

By RICHARD LARDNER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The GOP-led Senate Armed Services Committee has seconded a call by its counterpart in the House to require women to register for a military draft, setting the stage for a significant cultural change triggered by the Pentagon's decision to lift all gender-based restrictions on front-line combat units.

Any justification for barring women from draft registration was erased last year when the Pentagon announced all military jobs would be open to women, the committee said late Thursday in a summary of its annual defense policy bill. Women must begin to sign up with the Selective Service beginning in January 2018, according to the committee's measure.

The committee added that the top officers in each of the military branches also expressed their support for including women in a potential draft during testimony before Congress.

The United States has not had a military draft since 1973, in the Vietnam War era, but all men must register with the Selective Service within 30 days of turning 18. Women have never been required to register and have never been part of a wide-scale draft.

Prospects for a draft are dim. Military leaders maintain that the all-volunteer force is working and do not want to return to conscription.



Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SENATE_WOMEN_IN_DRAFT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-05-12-21-19-16

[uppityperson]

1. There is no draft, they need to sign up with the Selective Service in case there is a draft

I know you copy/pasted, but it's annoying and confusing to people.

To address the issue though, how about doing away with the SS?

[catnhatnh]

2. I'd like to see at least a vigorous discussion of the draft.

It's just too easy to deploy a "volunteer" army any damn place you feel like it. A draft that truly included females and the rich might actually force a sane policy on force and our military budget.

[Purveyor]

4. Hear, hear!

[EndElectoral]

5. The rich always find a way to avoid the front lines.

[catnhatnh]

6. Of course they would try

the trick is to stop them. I'm telling you if you could put the Trump boys and the Kardashian girls in a front line infantry unit US military policies are going to change for the better...

[Purveyor]

3. With all the sabre-rattling coming out of DC and a new warmongering President come 2017,

we are probably going to need them all.

[unhappycamper]

7. If the VA is privatized, a draft isn't too far away.

The All Volunteer Army caused the DoD to initiate social welfare programs to take care of our soldiers AND their families. Medical care is one of the things you must provide if you want volunteers, as are housing, food, schools, and things associated with families.

If these assholes privatize the VA the only way to to get fresh meat is a draft, because your Volunteer re-up rate with a privatized VA will head south.

Can you image a telling 22 year old soldier who is blind and missing extremities from an IED that his copay is ......

Good luck with that.

[braddy]

8. Huh? How do you figure that? The draft has always accelerated that kind of thing.

[Judi Lynn]

9. Kicking. n/t

[smirkymonkey]

10. Sorry, no ERA, no draft for women.

They can't continue to erode our rights and reasonably expect us to fight for this shit.

[mitty14u2]

11. 2004 First the Back-Door Draft; Now the Foot-in-the-Door Draft

One way has been to rely heavily on the National Guard and reservists, many of whom are now entering their third year of active duty.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/back-door-draft-raises-questions/

The Draft has a way of changing especially if you are Rich and Powerful or your Family is Rich and Powerful!

[libdem4life]

12. Equal opportunity cannon fodder. At least they will get paid the same

as the men, I imagine.