Re: 'Special skills draft' on drawing board
So is this Uncle Sam's way of getting good workers for no pay? You could expect the same kinds of skills to bring in several hundred dollars per hour in the .mil consulting sphere... Huh... So working from January to April/May to pay one's tax burden isn't enough service to the republic anymore? (where tax burden = billions wasted on the Iraq/Afghanistani wars, overthrowing elections in Argentina, causing riots in Haiti and Africa, etc.) Now they're resorting to what pretty much amounts to slavery? How soon before .gov just absorbs Exxon, IBM, Sun, HP, Haliburton, Bechtel and all of interest directly? How soon before .gov comes out of the fascism closet already and announces itself for what it really is? Bah! I may as well learn to flip burgers and ask if fries will be part of the order today... being a sysadmin isn't getting me employed anymore anyway. :( R. A. Hettinga wrote: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/03/13/MNG905K1BC1.DTLtype=printable www.sfgate.com 'Special skills draft' on drawing board Computer experts, foreign language specialists lead list of military's needs Eric Rosenberg, Hearst Newspapers Saturday, March 13, 2004 )2004 San Francisco Chronicle | Feedback | FAQ URL: sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/03/13/MNG905K1BC1.DTL Washington -- The government is taking the first steps toward a targeted military draft of Americans with special skills in computers and foreign languages.
RE: 'Special skills draft' on drawing board
A targeted registration and draft is is strictly in the planning stage, said Flahavan, adding that the whole thing is driven by what appears to be the more pressing and relevant need today -- the deficit in language and computer experts. Well, we could outsource 'em! I'd bet there's tons of Arabic-speakers willing to work on the cheap in countries such as Libya, Yemen, and Egypt...Bet there'd be a few Saudi nationals who'd be more than willing to ride alongside some of our boys in Iraq... -TD From: R. A. Hettinga [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: 'Special skills draft' on drawing board Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2004 18:42:21 -0500 http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/03/13/MNG905K1BC1.DTLtype=printable www.sfgate.com 'Special skills draft' on drawing board Computer experts, foreign language specialists lead list of military's needs Eric Rosenberg, Hearst Newspapers Saturday, March 13, 2004 ©2004 San Francisco Chronicle | Feedback | FAQ URL: sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/03/13/MNG905K1BC1.DTL Washington -- The government is taking the first steps toward a targeted military draft of Americans with special skills in computers and foreign languages. The Selective Service System has begun the process of creating the procedures and policies to conduct such a targeted draft in case military officials ask Congress to authorize it and the lawmakers agree to such a request. Richard Flahavan, a spokesman for the Selective Service System, said planning for a possible draft of linguists and computer experts had begun last fall after Pentagon personnel officials said the military needed more people with skills in those areas. Talking to the manpower folks at the Department of Defense and others, what came up was that nobody foresees a need for a large conventional draft such as we had in Vietnam, Flahavan said. But they thought that if we have any kind of a draft, it will probably be a special skills draft. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has said he would not ask Congress to authorize a draft, and officials at the Selective Service System, the independent federal agency that would organize any conscription, stress that the possibility of a so-called special skills draft is likely far off. A targeted registration and draft is is strictly in the planning stage, said Flahavan, adding that the whole thing is driven by what appears to be the more pressing and relevant need today -- the deficit in language and computer experts. We want to gear up and make sure we are capable of providing (those types of draftees) since that's the more likely need, the spokesman said, adding that it could take about two years to to have all the kinks worked out. The agency already has in place a special system to register and draft health care personnel ages 20 to 44 in more than 60 specialties if necessary in a crisis. According to Flahavan, the agency will expand this system to be able to rapidly register and draft computer specialists and linguists, should the need ever arise. But he stressed that the agency had received no request from the Pentagon to do so. The issue of a renewed draft has gained attention because of concerns that U.S. military forces are over-extended. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist strikes, U.S. forces have fought two wars, established a major military presence in Afghanistan and Iraq and are now taking on peacekeeping duties in Haiti. But Congress, which would have to authorize a draft, has so far shown no interest in renewing the draft. Legislation to reinstitute the draft, introduced by Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., has minimal support with only 13 House lawmakers signing on as co- sponsors. A corresponding bill in the Senate introduced by Sen. Fritz Hollings, D-S.C., has no co-sponsors. The military draft ended in 1973 as the American commitment in Vietnam waned, beginning the era of the all-volunteer force. Mandatory registration for the draft was suspended in 1975 but resumed in 1980 by President Jimmy Carter after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. About 13.5 million men, ages 18 to 25, are registered with the Selective Service. But the military has had particular difficulty attracting and retaining language experts, especially people knowledgeable about Arabic and various Afghan dialects. To address this need, the Army has a new pilot program underway to recruit Arabic speakers into the service's Ready Reserves. The service has signed up about 150 people into the training program. A Pentagon official familiar with personnel issues stressed that the armed forces were against any form of conscription but acknowledged the groundwork already underway at the Selective Service System. We understand that Selective Service has been reviewing existing organizational mission statements to confirm their relevance for the future, the official said. Some form of 'special skills' registration, not draft, has been a part of its review
Re: 'Special skills draft' on drawing board
R. A. Hettinga (2004-03-14 23:42Z) wrote: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/03/13/MNG905K1BC1.DTLtype=printable Richard Flahavan, a spokesman for the Selective Service System, said planning for a possible draft of linguists and computer experts had begun last fall after Pentagon personnel officials said the military needed more people with skills in those areas. A targeted registration and draft is is strictly in the planning stage, said Flahavan, adding that the whole thing is driven by what appears to be the more pressing and relevant need today -- the deficit in language and computer experts. Computer experts? In-crip-shin? Dig-a-tail? I don't KNO3 nothin'. Donald Fauntleroy Duckfeld ought to be planning a draft of philosopher-ayatollahs. -- That woman deserves her revenge... and... we deserve to die. -- Budd, Kill Bill
'Special skills draft' on drawing board
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/03/13/MNG905K1BC1.DTLtype=printable www.sfgate.com 'Special skills draft' on drawing board Computer experts, foreign language specialists lead list of military's needs Eric Rosenberg, Hearst Newspapers Saturday, March 13, 2004 ©2004 San Francisco Chronicle | Feedback | FAQ URL: sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/03/13/MNG905K1BC1.DTL Washington -- The government is taking the first steps toward a targeted military draft of Americans with special skills in computers and foreign languages. The Selective Service System has begun the process of creating the procedures and policies to conduct such a targeted draft in case military officials ask Congress to authorize it and the lawmakers agree to such a request. Richard Flahavan, a spokesman for the Selective Service System, said planning for a possible draft of linguists and computer experts had begun last fall after Pentagon personnel officials said the military needed more people with skills in those areas. Talking to the manpower folks at the Department of Defense and others, what came up was that nobody foresees a need for a large conventional draft such as we had in Vietnam, Flahavan said. But they thought that if we have any kind of a draft, it will probably be a special skills draft. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has said he would not ask Congress to authorize a draft, and officials at the Selective Service System, the independent federal agency that would organize any conscription, stress that the possibility of a so-called special skills draft is likely far off. A targeted registration and draft is is strictly in the planning stage, said Flahavan, adding that the whole thing is driven by what appears to be the more pressing and relevant need today -- the deficit in language and computer experts. We want to gear up and make sure we are capable of providing (those types of draftees) since that's the more likely need, the spokesman said, adding that it could take about two years to to have all the kinks worked out. The agency already has in place a special system to register and draft health care personnel ages 20 to 44 in more than 60 specialties if necessary in a crisis. According to Flahavan, the agency will expand this system to be able to rapidly register and draft computer specialists and linguists, should the need ever arise. But he stressed that the agency had received no request from the Pentagon to do so. The issue of a renewed draft has gained attention because of concerns that U.S. military forces are over-extended. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist strikes, U.S. forces have fought two wars, established a major military presence in Afghanistan and Iraq and are now taking on peacekeeping duties in Haiti. But Congress, which would have to authorize a draft, has so far shown no interest in renewing the draft. Legislation to reinstitute the draft, introduced by Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., has minimal support with only 13 House lawmakers signing on as co- sponsors. A corresponding bill in the Senate introduced by Sen. Fritz Hollings, D-S.C., has no co-sponsors. The military draft ended in 1973 as the American commitment in Vietnam waned, beginning the era of the all-volunteer force. Mandatory registration for the draft was suspended in 1975 but resumed in 1980 by President Jimmy Carter after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. About 13.5 million men, ages 18 to 25, are registered with the Selective Service. But the military has had particular difficulty attracting and retaining language experts, especially people knowledgeable about Arabic and various Afghan dialects. To address this need, the Army has a new pilot program underway to recruit Arabic speakers into the service's Ready Reserves. The service has signed up about 150 people into the training program. A Pentagon official familiar with personnel issues stressed that the armed forces were against any form of conscription but acknowledged the groundwork already underway at the Selective Service System. We understand that Selective Service has been reviewing existing organizational mission statements to confirm their relevance for the future, the official said. Some form of 'special skills' registration, not draft, has been a part of its review. -- - R. A. Hettinga mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED] The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation http://www.ibuc.com/ 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA ... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience. -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'
