Sections
Log in
Top News
U.S. News World News Featured Voices
Odd News
Entertainment
Movies Music TV
Sports
Soccer NFL NBA MLB
Photos
News Entertainment Sports Features
More...
Defense Featured Science Health Video Archive Almanac
About Feedback Privacy Policy
About Feedback Privacy Policy
Search
Defense News
Jan. 10, 2003 / 2:45 PM

Veterans decry Rumsfeld's draft comments

By
PAMELA HESS, UPI Pentagon Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- A Vietnam War veterans' group is taking exception to U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's comments this week on the possibility of a new draft.

"Secretary Rumsfeld said troops from Vietnam War conscription 'added no value, no advantage, really, to the United States armed services ... '" Bobby Muller, president of Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation said in a statement issued Friday. "As Vietnam veterans who served with conscripted soldiers, we find Secretary Rumsfeld's egregious slur a grave insult to the memory, sacrifice and valor of those who lost their lives, and, further, dismissive of the hundreds and thousands of lives, both in the U.S. and in Vietnam, who were devastatingly shattered by the Vietnam War."

Rumsfeld, while commenting on a bill introduced to initiate the draft, said it was unnecessary.

"We're not going to re-implement a draft," he said Tuesday. "There is no need for it at all."

He spoke of the fact that many of those who were drafted were trained, served for a short time and then left the service.

Rumsfeld first referred to the many exemptions issued to certain men in the draft and then said, "what was left was sucked into the intake, trained for a period of months, and then went out, adding no value, no advantage, really, to the United States armed services over any sustained period of time, because the churning that took place, it took enormous amount of effort in terms of training, and then they were gone."

Critics said Rumsfeld's comments were unconscionable.

"To me if you look at the whole quote it's even worse," said John Terzano, vice president of the Vietnam Veteran of American Foundation, which shared a Nobel Prize in 1997 for its work helping landmine victims. "He's sitting there saying draftees add no value to the military and that's unconscionable ... Draftees stayed in as long they needed to be in the service -- they stayed in.

"How can he sit there and say they added no value to the army?"

He said Rumsfeld should have been "a little bit more careful with his wording and not be so glib."

An official at the organization said the base concern was the "cavalierness of the way (Rumsfeld) said it."

Rumsfeld declared unequivocally Tuesday there would be no resumption of the draft as he and his military leaders all believe a volunteer force was more efficient and effective.

Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., a Korean War veteran and a strong critic of going to war with Iraq, introduced a bill to initiate a draft because he believes the burden of military service is borne disproportionately by minorities. Rangel also believes if there were a universal draft, Congress and the public would have less of an appetite for war as it would mean endangering their own children's lives.

Minorities compose more than a third of the military, though they make up only about one-quarter of the American populace.

"I don't find that a compelling argument to spend all the money you would spend in churning people through and all the disadvantages that would accrue to bringing people into the service who didn't want to serve in the service," Rumsfeld said Tuesday.

Latest Headlines

BAE Systems awarded $249.2 million modification for self-propelled Howitzers
Defense News // 1 day ago
BAE Systems awarded $249.2 million modification for self-propelled Howitzers
Dec. 13 (UPI) -- BAE Systems Land & Armaments received a $249.2 million modification Friday to provide ammunition and support for self-propelled Howitzer vehicles for the U.S. Army.

Study links military suicides with longer wars, but not combat time
Defense News // 1 day ago
Study links military suicides with longer wars, but not combat time
Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Suicides among active-duty members of the military appear to decline during combat -- but may also be more common during longer wars, according to a historic review of military suicides released Friday.

Lockheed Martin awarded $18M for F-35 support for Australia, UK, Canada
Defense News // 1 day ago
Lockheed Martin awarded $18M for F-35 support for Australia, UK, Canada
Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin has received an $18 million contract modification for maintenance and operation of the support center that tests the F-35 aircraft for three partner nations.

Nightforce nabs $53.7M contract to deliver rifle scopes for Navy
Defense News // 1 day ago
Nightforce nabs $53.7M contract to deliver rifle scopes for Navy
Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Nightforce Optics has received a $53.7 million, five-year contract to deliver precision-variable power scopes for the U.S. Navy, the Pentagon announced.

Boeing to upgrade engines on new Air Force One to limit costs, enhance efficiency
Defense News // 2 days ago
Boeing to upgrade engines on new Air Force One to limit costs, enhance efficiency
Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Boeing has been awarded a $12 million contract for work on upgrades to engines on two modified 747s being converted into VC-25Bs, which serve as Air Force One.

Air Force tests conventional ground-launched ballistic missile in California
Defense News // 2 days ago
Air Force tests conventional ground-launched ballistic missile in California
Dec. 12 (UPI) -- The Air Force tested a prototype of a conventionally configured ground-launched ballistic missile at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Thursday morning.

Senate committee passes bill prohibiting president from leaving NATO
Defense News // 2 days ago
Senate committee passes bill prohibiting president from leaving NATO
Dec. 12 (UPI) -- The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has passed a bill to explicitly prohibit any president of the United States from withdrawing from NATO without congressional approval.

House passes defense bill creating Space Force, paid parental leave
Defense News // 3 days ago
House passes defense bill creating Space Force, paid parental leave
Dec. 11 (UPI) -- The House of Representatives voted to pass the annual defense spending bill, authorizing the creation of Space Force and passing a provision that provides all federal workers with 12 weeks paid parental leave.

Lockheed Martin nabs $22.4M to develop combined-arms squad prototype
Defense News // 3 days ago
Lockheed Martin nabs $22.4M to develop combined-arms squad prototype
Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin on Wednesday received a $22.4 million to develop prototypes for a combined arms squad for the U.S. Army, the Department of Defense has announced. 

Marines integrate upgrades to off-the-shelf UTVs
Defense News // 3 days ago
Marines integrate upgrades to off-the-shelf UTVs
Dec. 11 (UPI) -- The Marine Corps announced Wednesday that its Utility Task Vehicles are undergoing safety and performance upgrades.

Trending Stories

LSU QB Joe Burrow wins 2019 Heisman Trophy
LSU QB Joe Burrow wins 2019 Heisman Trophy
6.8 magnitude earthquake shakes southern Philippines
6.8 magnitude earthquake shakes southern Philippines
New Zealand officials 'will make every effort' to find missing after volcano blast
New Zealand officials 'will make every effort' to find missing after volcano blast
Famous birthdays for Dec. 15: Michelle Dockery, Don Johnson
Famous birthdays for Dec. 15: Michelle Dockery, Don Johnson
On This Day: MacArthur orders end to state Shintoism in Japan
On This Day: MacArthur orders end to state Shintoism in Japan

Photo Gallery

 
Daisy Ridley, John Boyega attend 'Star Wars' premiere in Tokyo
Daisy Ridley, John Boyega attend 'Star Wars' premiere in Tokyo

Latest News

'Jumanji: The Next Level' tops the North American box office with $60.1M
Storms to bring one-two punch of wintry weather from Missouri to Maine
'Top Gun: Maverick' trailer to debut on Monday
Orlando Jones, Freemantle disagree about Jones' 'American Gods' exit
U.S. nuclear negotiator arrives in Seoul before North Korea's year-end deadline
 
Back to Article
/
Back to top
About UPI Contact Feedback Advertisements Submit News Tips
Copyright © 2019 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of UsePrivacy Policy