Detroit Free Press/KRTA large rotation of troops in Iraq will be taking place in January. After completing one-year active duty terms in Iraq ,130,000 troops will be replaced with a number of new troops. The rotation of troops stationed, plus an additional number of troops will bring the total number of troops stationed overseas to 180,000.
The United States failed to gain support from other countries by sending their troops in addition to America. Extended tours that the U. S. reserve forces have been asked to serve has caused some Congressional leaders to question the reliance on reserve forces. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said that he thinks over-reliance on reserves will cause retention problems.
Students wonder if the problem of getting sufficient troops will lead to a reinstitution of the draft. Since 1973, the U.S. ended the draft, and became an all-volunteer military. Americans can proudly choose to fight for freedom and represent their country.
If the draft were to be brought back, those who it would affect would not be prepared for it. “It would throw off and disturb society,” Dr. Jolyon Girard, a former army officer and history professor, said. Since Americans have been used to not having a draft, the idea may be hard to accept.
Signing up for the part time Army Reserve has many benefits including gaining college credit. The length of service for an Army Reserve is a minimum of one year. Being an Army Reserve requires the standard eight-year military service obligation knowing that they will be asked to serve full time in times of need.
College students have the option to sign up for ROTC, which means going through training, and becoming an officer of the army and continuing to study simultaneously. About 75 percent of the officers in the army are Army ROTC. Earning a degree while serving part-time service in the Army can open up more doors of opportunity when job hunting in the future.
New technology is another factor that must be taken into consideration. Modern battles can be fought more with the help of machines instead of men. This is a different war from others in the past. World War II and Vietnam required much more time on land with men fighting men than today’s battles being primarily controlled by air strikes.
“We need to fight smart, not necessarily fight large,” Dr. James Hedtke, history and political science professor, said.
Posted to the web by Angelina Wagner
