Military expert O'Hanlon on the draft issue

Brookings scholar Michael O'Hanlon recently wrote a column about the draft issue titled, "Nobody wants a draft, but what if we need one?"

That's our question exactly.

Read it here. (Reg. Req'd)

An excerpt:

"So what's the truth? Unless we wind up in yet another war, the draft will remain clearly unnecessary in the near future, but a draft is not totally out of the question in the years ahead.

The reason is simple. Under some circumstances, we might have no choice. In particular, if ongoing overseas operations remain so onerous, people could start leaving the military in droves and the number of those joining could become insufficient to replace them. Alternatively, if another big war breaks out, and particularly if it requires a long stabilization mission after major combat ends, today's military could prove far too small for the job."

So, at Rock the Vote, our point is this: if you are young, you need to make a showing at the polls in November, however you come down on this issue, so that when the military planners and politicians get down to planning, they have to take YOUR position into account.