by Joseph Yannuzzi Jr.

Created on: July 04, 2008   Last Updated: October 03, 2011

As a former Vietnam era Veteran and United States Army Drill Instructor, I can almost assure you that in the not too distant future, the draft will be revived and for good reason. Today, more than anytime in the history of our nation, we are threatened by a variety of enemies vying to destroy us and our way of life.

We have Iran, North Korea, and the Islamic extremists lining up against us. The Taliban, Al Qaeda, dictators like Hugo Chavez and Raul Castro of Cuba. Osama Bin Laden is still a threat to our security and must be dealt with. China can never be trusted, nor can Russia which possesses the world's largest stockpile of weapons of mass destruction.

Like it or not, a broad and diverse military makes a nation powerful and respected. Its obvious that we have lost that respect in many parts of the world and this in itself, is extremely dangerous. It is also common knowledge that enlistments in our military are at an all time low.

How do we achieve this diversity? By drafting people from all socio-economic backgrounds, like we have successfully done in past wars. Unlike our current volunteer Army, the draft would give us a well-rounded and stronger military, because we would have a huge pool of talent to select from overall. This would also make us much more capable and effective and would act as a deterrent for those quick to seize on what they perceive to be a limited, or weak military presence.

As a US Army Drill Instructor during the Vietnam conflict, I saw first hand how effective the mixture of draftees and enlisted personnel were in performing their duties, and their specific missions. I trained people that were from poor backgrounds, some of them being juvenile delinquents that had two options...jail or the military. Some were from a variety of other professions. Ex professional football players, business owners, college graduates with varying degrees and yes, the wealthy, sheltered types. In the end, they all performed admirably and I was especially proud to see the successful transition from civilian to a confident, self-reliant, soldier, in a neat, action packed eight weeks of basic training.

Unfortunately, today, in comparison to the Vietnam era, we have raised a nation of soft, immature, and irresponsible young adults, that prefer a comfy, secure lifestyle, living at home with Mom and Dad. Patriotism and service to our country is not a priority, and war is better left to others that enlist voluntarily. The parents share some of the blame for this attitude, because they feel its better that someone else's sons or daughters fight and die, not their children. Can you imagine the outcome of World War II if we had this type of cavalier and protective attitude in regard to our nations defense.

Having lived through the Vietnam era, I like all rational human beings detest the horrors of war. I have lost many friends as a result of that conflict. The only comfort I glean from my experience is that I, like thousands of other 18 year old young men, stepped up to the plate and served with no regrets in the defense of my country. I wish I could feel the same committment from our young people today, should a real need for military service arise, but sadly I do not.

If we as American citizens choose to live in a country that affords us safety and freedom, we must realize that it sometimes comes with a terrible price. The only real deterrent to war or an attack on our nation, is to be fully prepared for it. The preparation begins with a strong and efficient military and that can only be achieved by tapping the diverse pool of talent America has to offer. The only viable solution to achieve that end, is to bring back the draft.

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