Ron Paul wants to build more bases in the U.S.

[Saving Hawaii]

38. Here's how a drawdown works.

First the military says "no visible tattoos, etc..." they tighten up standards. They're already doing this. The idea is that you make the job less enjoyable for a lot of people so they get a clue and leave at the end of their current enlistment. If that doesn't cause the desired effect, you additionally gum up the promotional system so that very few people can improve their lot in the military. That gets a lot more people to live. For the most part, drawdowns are just about making the military suck more so that current soldiers decide that it's high time to do something else.

And what do you think would be more valuable in the long run? A recently released soldier using the GI Bill to attend college to become a nurse, an engineer, or a welder? Or a soldier that got held on being forced to learn how to do whatever it is that his unit got assigned to do? I think the former is preferable. Most soldiers are in a pretty good position for employment and a great position to go to school. Letting them decide where they want to go with their lives is probably a better option than telling them what they're going to learn and become good at.