Special Skills Draft coming

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/164693_draft13.html

The Selective Service is getting ready to implement a special skills military draft -- of computer programmers!

So you'll be out of work no longer! It's off to Iraq. The military draft is one job that simply can't be outsourced. Good thing we sent all those jobs overseas or this draft could have hurt american businesses that rely on computer programmers!

Uncle Sam
Sunday, March 14, 2004

Hah! Not me. I was already declared 4F back in the day. Never burned my draft card either. In fact I still have it.

But I think it might do all you young'ns a bit of good to experience a year in Iraq or wherever it is we want to go today.

old_timer
Monday, March 15, 2004

Actually, I read it be not that they are about to implement a draft, but that they are preparing the necessary infrastructure, so that if they implement a draft it will be oriented towards particular skill sets.

Makes no sense to me though, my time in the Army showed me that military is all too happy to take someone who has spent years training as a geek and have them go pound mud.  Often times they'll take someone that they themselves have spent years training as a specialist of some sort and have them go pound mud too, just for good measure.

Or in my case, being trained to pound mud, they immediately put me in charge of a bunch of computers.

Steve Barbour
Monday, March 15, 2004

How would this work?  I get the medical thing; they could check licenses.  How will they determine who has "computer skills"?  Will it be a voluntary identification?

Imagine how draft dodging will work- "hey man- look at my code.  It sucks!"

name withheld out of cowardice
Monday, March 15, 2004

Yeah, but I'm too old to even be drafted.  Now that's funny.

Aaron F Stanton
Monday, March 15, 2004

"Imagine how draft dodging will work- 'hey man- look at my code.  It sucks!'"

Well then, soldier, try this here rifle on for size...

joev
Monday, March 15, 2004

What, you figure they can draft you because you can write code but if you claim you are incompetent at coding they can just draft you like a normal soldier?  This would be an excellent way of having a draft, without having a draft.  All those kids who can download music could be drafted because they have computer skills and then transfered to combat units.

Maybe someday when the entire army is a bunch of battle-bots and flying-drones all military skills will be computer skills and they will have special drafts for video game champs!

name withheld out of cowardice
Monday, March 15, 2004

Am I the only one who thinks that this is perfectly reasonable?

Ok, maybe you agree with the draft or maybe not (I don't).

But if you're going to have a draft, then it makes sense to draft professionals who will provide quality support in the areas needed. In a modern military, this means communications and technology, in addition to all the existing areas.

Mike Swieton
Monday, March 15, 2004

I would never dodge the draft, ever.

If I die, so be it. If I make it, I'll appreciate my uneventful civvie life a helluva lot more.

Warren Henning
Tuesday, March 16, 2004

<trolling> This is more evil Bush politics!  He knows that vast majority existing military is politically Republican, and that the educated, wealthier people this draft would target are largely Democrat.  He wants to indoctrinate them in mind-numbed Republic factory that is the Armed Forces, increasing political chances for him and his party.

This post will be wiretapped by the FBI and deleted by John Ashcroft.</trolling>

Ugnonomous
Tuesday, March 16, 2004

We will be around to see you late, Mr. Ugnonomous. We know what you look like and we know where you live.

Someone who knows
Tuesday, March 16, 2004

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