Mothers Against the Draft

Analysis: Study shows 41% drop in number of black Army recruits since 2000

The Army’s wartime recruiting challenge is aggravated by a sharp drop in black enlistments over the last four years, which internal Army and Defense Department polls trace to an unpopular war in Iraq and concerns among blacks with Bush administration policies. The Army is straining to meet recruiting goals in part because the number of black volunteers has fallen 41 percent — from 23.5 percent of recruits in fiscal 2000 down steadily to 13.9 percent in the first four months of fiscal 2005.“It’s alarming,” said Maj. Gen. Michael D. Rochelle, commanding general of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command in Fort Knox, Ky.

Firing Back Hoffman, like thousands of others who volunteered to serve their country, are being forced to stay long after they planned on leaving, because of the "stop loss" orders authorized by statute. The orders – which have been called "back-door drafts" – allow the military to suspend all laws and regulations and force all personnel to continue serving. The orders apply to those whose tours of duty expire and to those who are eligible for retirement.	Army Putting Ex-Soldiers Into Uniform WASHINGTON — The Army is forcing thousands of former soldiers back into uniform to ease the strain on the service of long military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. And some say the move is the equivalent of a back-door draft.
Old Soldiers Back On Duty Like many Army officers, Mary signed up for eight years -- four years active duty, and four years in the Ready Reserves. She received her discharge certificate in 1998, but she was called up this past June to serve as a transportation officer. "I called the Delay and Exemption Board. And the young lady that I talked to said that date [on my contract] meant nothing. That my new date is 2018," says Mary.	Active Duty: No Way Out (CBS) Thousands of soldiers who thought they were about to get out of the Army, and open new chapters in their lives, are about to find out that instead they’re headed to a combat zone -- for a year. They have completed the terms of their enlistment, but once the Army announces what units will go to Iraq next, as it’s expected to do any day, the soldiers in those units will discover that for now, there’s no way out --even though they have completed the terms of their enlistment.
Army Having Difficulty Meeting Goals In Recruiting The active-duty Army is in danger of failing to meet its recruiting goals, and is beginning to suffer from manpower strains like those that have dropped the National Guard and Reserves below full strength, according to Army figures and interviews with senior officers .	5 Units of Military Reserve Miss Recruiting Goals WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 - In a sign of continued stress on the armed forces from operations in Iraq, five of the six military reserve components have failed to meet their recruiting goals for the first four months of the current fiscal year, the military's top officer said on Wednesday.
Regular Army falls short of recruiting goal A key lawmaker expressed unease over February’s shortfall. “We should take steps now to prevent a recruiting and retention crisis, not wait for it to happen and then react,” said Rep. Ike Skelton, D.-Mo., ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee, in a March 2 news release.	Army looks to retirees to bolster forces Activating retired soldiers is the latest step by the Army to bolster troop levels. Other efforts include extending overseas tours from 12 to 15 months, tripling bonuses for new enlistees and National Guard members who re-enlist, and mobilizing about 4,000 soldiers from the Individual Ready Reserve.
Two Years Later, Iraq War Drains Military Two years after the United States launched a war in Iraq with a crushing display of power, a guerrilla conflict is grinding away at the resources of the U.S. military and casting uncertainty over the fitness of the all-volunteer force, according to senior military leaders, lawmakers and defense experts.	Support grows for beefing up U.S. forces While just about all the proponents maintain they want to achieve the increase by offering recruits bigger financial incentives or through appeals to patriotism, lurking in the background is a possibility that for now remains anathema to all but a few. The military draft, which coughed up its last conscript in 1973, could make a comeback if recruiting doesn't pick up and if America's commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan turn into long-term occupations or if the Bush administration's tough-minded foreign policy means military action in places like Iran or North Korea.