Stupid Wisdom

So much for an all volunteer military

With our troops being stretched to there limits in Iraq & Afghanistan many of our brave men & women are choosing not to volunteer for repeated tours of duty. It seems the days of enlisting for a four year term and getting out are over for now. Many call this a backdoor draft which is somewhat accurate. Although all who serve do agree to the option of being called up from inactive reserves once completing their active obligations, I doubt many would have seen this as actual reality until recently. This will just add to the short falls on new enlistments in the long run. Today’s reality is that a new recruit knows going in that the four year tour of duty is a thing of the past. Nobody likes to enter into a contract with an unknown term, which is what this amount to. The negative impact on troup moral will gradually spiral downward as more and more are forced to serve beyond their original active obligation. Recruiting numbers will be severly impacted which will continue the need for involuntary recalls.