the draft

First stages of the Draft are now in motion

If you think it’s not coming, you’re crazy. This guy has been out of the army 13 years… and he’s being called back.

David M. Miyasato enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve in 1987, served three years of active duty during the first Gulf War and received an honorable discharge in 1991. He remained on inactive status for five more years, until 1996. Since then, the Kaua’i resident has married, started an Auto Sun tint business and this year, he and his wife had their first child.

But in September, Miyasato received a letter from the Army recalling him to active duty and directing him to report to a military facility in South Carolina on Tuesday.

“I was shocked,” Miyasato said yesterday. “I never expected to see something like that after being out of the service for 13 years.”

Miyasato is now suing the Secretary of the Army, asking a court to prevent the Army from ordering him to active duty. He is also asking for a court judgment declaring that he fulfilled all his obligations to the military.

Continue ReadingFirst stages of the Draft are now in motion

U.S. eyes proposal to draft women, raise cut off age to 34

WASHINGTON – The chief of the U.S. Selective Service System has proposed registering women for the military draft and requiring that young Americans regularly inform the government about whether they have training in niche specialties needed in the armed services.

The proposal, which the agency’s acting director Lewis Brodsky presented to senior Pentagon officials just before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, also seeks to extend the age of draft registration to 34, up from 25.

Please note that this would not only keep my younger brother Gary eligible for the draft, but make my sister Stacy and my brother Scott eligible as well. Let’s all keep this in mind when voting tomorrow.

Continue ReadingU.S. eyes proposal to draft women, raise cut off age to 34

Bush Quietly Prepares to Reinstate Draft

The Pentagon is quietly moving to fill draft board vacancies nationwide, in preparation to reinstate the draft after the election next year. A document regarding the move was published on the Defend America website, which is maintained by the government, but when controversy started about it, the page was removed. You can see a copy of it here.

In addition to filling draft boards, the Selective Service’s agency puts draft in budget; financial plans are to have the draft up and functioning by June 15, 2005.

Salon article on this topic.

An anti-Bush, anti-draft website that has compiled more information.

Local news outlets around the country pick up the story.

San Antonio news gets it.

Alabama publishes the information

An editorial with more comprehensive info on what this means.

Continue ReadingBush Quietly Prepares to Reinstate Draft