TUESDAY PDB – America's armed forces need a lottery-based draft for men and women. The U.S. military's all-volunteer force (AVF) model is an abject failure. Last year, the active Army fell 15,000 recruits short of its goal.
The Army Reserve fell 40% short of its goal this year, while the active Navy fell 7,000 short and the Navy Reserve was 33% short. The active Air Force fell 3,000 recruits short, and the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard each fell 30% short of their goals. Only the Marines reached their goals.
There is no reason to believe these trends won't continue, and even less reason to believe they will not get worse. The numbers and demographics simply don't add up anymore.
THE SOLUTION? – In any fiscal year in which any of the services fails to meet recruiting goals, the military would conduct a fair, lottery-based draft – as opposed to the draft during the Vietnam War – of both men and women, with no deferments or exemptions for the following year, to make up the preceding year's shortfall. Those selected could attend college but would be required to enroll in ROTC.
After completing basic training, draftees would commit to 24 months of service. If a draftee is deployed to a combat zone at any time during that period, their obligation would be complete at the end of the deployment, and they would be eligible for full Veterans Affairs benefits.
SOUNDS GOOD TO ME.
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here's a roundup of today's other top defense stories from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.
Not the President's Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL'S DAILY BRIEFING – the PDB:
ISRAEL'S WAR AGAINST HAMAS TERROR
Israel and Hamas extend their truce, but it seems only a matter of time before the war resumes. A truce between Israel and Hamas entered its fifth day on Tuesday, with the terror group promising to release more hostages to delay the expected resumption of the war.
White House announces first of 3 US military flights carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza. The flight is set to arrive in Egypt to aid to civilians in Gaza.
LET ISRAEL FINISH HAMAS! – Senate Democrats meet with IDF officials for ‘extremely frank' discussion of Israel-Hamas war. The meeting on Capitol Hill wasn't classified, but senators kept many of the details private.
Thousands leave behind American lives to join Israel's war in Gaza. Israeli Americans who have joined the Gaza war say they were galvanized by Hamas's attack, but some lament the civilian bloodshed and wonder how long the fighting will last.
PENTAGON WOKE WATCH
Critics bash Minot AFB after airmen told to avoid conservative rally. “All Air Force airmen have a constitutional right to freedom of assembly,” the base said on Facebook.
CHINA THREAT
China's coastguard says it warns off Japanese ships in disputed waters. It said the Japanese ships had “illegally intruded” into waters around disputed East China Sea islets on Tuesday.
TUBERVILLE HAS MADE HIS POINT. BUT IT'S TIME TO TAKE CARE OF OUR WARRIORS –Sideline Scrooge Tuberville? What a Christmas gift to military families. “We need to use every tool we have to fight back” against China, writes Sen. Ted Cruz.
And this urgency about China could prompt the Senate to find a way to confirm the more than 450 military officers whose promotions have been blocked by Sen. Tommy Tuberville over DoD's new abortion policy. Cruz says he, “believe[s] this issue will get resolved…”
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
Ukraine's new enemy: war fatigue in the West. Congress holds up military aid as unsupportive populists make gains in Europe.
WAR FATIGUE GOES BOTH WAYS – Intercepted calls from the front lines in Ukraine show a growing number of Russian soldiers want out. In audio intercepts from the front lines in Ukraine, Russian soldiers speak in shorthand of ‘200s' to mean dead, ‘300s' to mean wounded. The urge to flee has become common enough that they also talk of ‘500s' — people who refuse to fight.
Russian forces advancing on Ukrainian town from all sides. Russian forces are intensifying their drive to capture the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka after weeks of fighting.
Russian FM says he plans to attend OSCE meeting in North Macedonia. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's trip will mark his first visit to a NATO member country since Moscow sent troops to Ukraine.
IRAN THREAT
Iran finalizes deal to buy Russian fighters. It is preparing for the delivery of Russian made Sukhoi su-35 fighters and helicopters. This, as Tehran and Moscow forge closer military ties.
Ike carrier strike group enters Persian Gulf. The carrier, which departed Norfolk, Virginia, in October for a scheduled deployment, is the first carrier to steam in those waters since the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group operated there in September 2020.
ISN'T THAT GREAT? Attacks on US troops in Middle East have diminished, Pentagon says. The barrage of attacks on U.S. troops deployed in Iraq and Syria has subsided in recent days.
GUESS THESE GUYS DIDN'T GET THE MEMO – Yemen-based ballistic missiles fired near USS Mason, says CENTCOM. Ballistic missiles fired from Yemen were launched in the direction of the Navy destroyer Mason Sunday as the warship responded to a distress call from an Israeli-linked commercial vessel in the Gulf of Aden.
NORTH KOREA THREAT
“DETAILED”? – UNLIKELY – North Korea claims spy satellite has photographed White House and Pentagon. North Korea has claimed its recently launched satellite has sent back “detailed” images of the White House, the Pentagon and US nuclear aircraft carriers that have been viewed by the regime leader, Kim Jong-un.
SPACE THREAT
For the first time since '65, the US military will blast a nuclear reactor into space. The future of space travel looks a lot like fission power.
US POWER OVERSEAS
USS Carl Vinson underway with Japanese, South Korean warships for deterrence patrol. The Carrier Strike Group carried out a trilateral drill on Sunday in the East China Sea along with warships from its two allies after North Korea's launch of a reconnaissance satellite on Nov. 21.
F-15 Eagles train with the Philippines over South China Sea. The two allies conducted a three-day aerial exercise together last week, with fighters from both nations operating over the strategically vital South China Sea.
US troops in Lithuania test Baltic defenses on NATO's most vulnerable flank. This month's Strong Griffin 2023 was the first time the U.S. contributed large numbers of soldiers — 700 of them — and firepower to Lithuania's annual exercise.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
German air force plans major Asia-Pacific tour in 2024. The German air force will be accompanied by aircraft from France and Spain, the partners in the trinational Future Combat Air System.
French warship docks in Egypt, could treat Gaza children this week. The French helicopter carrier Dixmude arrives as Western powers look to ramp up efforts to aid the enclave.
Europe is short of ammunition at a bad time. The EU promised Ukraine a million rounds by March of next year but may not be able to deliver.
US MILITARY
Security forces airmen train on ‘game-changer' drone that could compete for Replicator. Eight enlisted Airmen recently became the first Air National Guardsmen to train on a new drone which could boost security forces operations at home and abroad.
WHY IS IT STILL THERE?! – Navy to discuss removing plane from Hawaii bay. The Navy P-8A aircraft overshot a runway last week in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
Marine, Air Force veteran killed in Ukraine wanted to protect children. Semper Fi!
END of PDB
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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