What would you do if you got drafted?

[Guardsman Bass]

Although it depends on the war, I would:

a. Pull a Richard Feynman and say I hear voices from dead people.

b. Fail any intelligence tests and pretend I'm deaf.

One or the other.

[Glocksman]

claim being gay: The ban of gays in the military would go the same day the draft comes for the simple reason that the military can´t disprove gayness. They don´t like blanket tickets out. The only conscript forces that ban gays are those in countrys where gayness yields you an even worse fate, like soviet russia where it was a one way ticket to a gulag.

I wouldn't swear to it, but I believe that homosexuality disqualified you from the draft in the US from WW2 until the end of the Vietnam war.

[Keevan_Colton]

There is one thing I find amusing, all those that answer "I would serve" assume it's going to be for a good reason. Which, given the state of the world today is a shakey assumption at best.

[consequences]

There is one thing I find amusing, all those that answer "I would serve" assume it's going to be for a good reason. Which, given the state of the world today is a shakey assumption at best.

Yeah, well, I already swore an Oath, until Dubya starts being blatantly unconstitutional, a little thing like a complete disgust with my Commander-in-Chief can't override that.

[Keevan_Colton]

So, constituntional overrides, sane, moral or ethical?

[jegs2]

A Senatorsaid yesterday that the United States may have to reintroduce the military draft. So how would you feel if YOU got drafted? Proud? Pissed off? Depresed?

I'd be pretty confused, since I'm already in.

[The Yosemite Bear]

claim being gay: The ban of gays in the military would go the same day the draft comes for the simple reason that the military can´t disprove gayness. They don´t like blanket tickets out. The only conscript forces that ban gays are those in countrys where gayness yields you an even worse fate, like soviet russia where it was a one way ticket to a gulag.

I wouldn't swear to it, but I believe that homosexuality disqualified you from the draft in the US from WW2 until the end of the Vietnam war.

well could you imagine what it would be like if they had kept doing the seperate but equal policy in the military and make an exclusive company for each sub-group?

*helllo this is Pink Triangle Platoon, we need some serious fire on these coordinates, what do you mean the Lesbian Air Wing is Busy!,*

[Zoink]

I'd stab myself in the leg.

[consequences]

So, constituntional overrides, sane, moral or ethical?

Its pretty much a catch-22. Technically, the Generals are supposed to advise the Prez of any illegality, and refuse to carry out his instructions if the offense warrants it. Their subordinates should point out the same thing to them, and also refuse to obey if the generals 'overlooked' a legal issue. The Subordinates' subordinates should do the same thing, and somewhere down the line, someone should have the guts to say "No, this is wrong".

Unfortunately, that would pretty much kill anyones career in all likelihood regardless of the outcome, and if the superior in question can tweak the story appropriately, the objector could easily be court-martialed.

[Edi]

Although it depends on the war, I would:

a. Pull a Richard Feynman and say I hear voices from dead people.

b. Fail any intelligence tests and pretend I'm deaf.

One or the other.

B won't work. You'll just get stuck with the shitty end of the stick when assignments come up, namely as cannon fodder. Option A isn't all that good either, because the psych types who would evaluate you would be trained to recognize people who are trying to fake it, and believe me,m in a conscript military they get a lot of practice.

As for myself, if my country had to call up reserves, then I'd go. It's possible I might get reassigned to a different job than the one I would now have because of a health issue I developed during my conscription period, but given the nature of the job and the minor nature of the injury, I doubt it. If I was a US citizen being drafted, it'd be a different story and depend on the reason for the draft. If it was some bullshit one, Vympel's solution would be mine as well.

[Oni Koneko Damien]

- being uncooperative/getting discharged: Conscripts don´t get discharged easily. If a conscript refuses orders he gets time in a holding cell. Now before you think spending your conscription in a cell is preferrable to going to war, keep the following two things in mind:
1) Once you accumulate a certain number of days it goes on your criminal record.
2) The time you spent in the cell is tacked on to the end of your conscription period, so you gain nothing.
The only way to get discharged as a conscript is to commit a crime that yields you at least as much jail time as the conscription period.

Fuck it then, I'll have a goddamn criminal record. I value my life over a clean record. And hell, if they want to tack those days on to the end of my 'conscription period', the fuckers had best be ready to hold me indefinately, because the only fucking way they're going to get me to follow any fucking orders is if they each grab a leg and an arm and physically move me to the battlefield, hold my arms over the gun, and push my finger on the trigger.

-Damien

[Sebastin]

claim being gay: The ban of gays in the military would go the same day the draft comes for the simple reason that the military can´t disprove gayness. They don´t like blanket tickets out. The only conscript forces that ban gays are those in countrys where gayness yields you an even worse fate, like soviet russia where it was a one way ticket to a gulag.

I wouldn't swear to it, but I believe that homosexuality disqualified you from the draft in the US from WW2 until the end of the Vietnam war.

Quite probable. However back then society was a lot less accepting of homosexuality. Since it does go on record one way or the other (at least as the reason for being exempt) draftees probably had reason to fear repricursions for the rest of their lives. This would be different nowadays were many couldn´t care less if some record somewhere says there gay. I certainly wouldn´t have, had that option to dodge it been open to me.

[Edi]

Fuck it then, I'll have a goddamn criminal record. I value my life over a clean record. And hell, if they want to tack those days on to the end of my 'conscription period', the fuckers had best be ready to hold me indefinately, because the only fucking way they're going to get me to follow any fucking orders is if they each grab a leg and an arm and physically move me to the battlefield, hold my arms over the gun, and push my finger on the trigger.

-Damien

More likely is that you'd be discharged from military service but required to do something in the civilian sector (hospital, fire fighting or some other type) of job where you wouldn't have to go against such deeply held principles (refusal to kill, if you told them you won't because you're just scared of getting killed, you'd probably be seeing prison).

Edi

[Colonel Olrik]

I have already been declared unfit for duty, due to bad eyesight (four dyoptries in each eye). I exceled all the other physical tests. It was kind of fun, actually, to be in the "rejected" line. Most of the other guys had obvious deficiencies, and looked at the few ones that did not in a funny way. Since I was clearly the most fit of the lot, even the officers didn't spare me.

Can they even call me again if the situation is really bad or that little paper with a red "unfit" on it prevents that in any situation?

[Arthur_Tuxedo]

This thread reminds me of a story my dad told me. He had served 13 months in Nam, near the end of which he informed a recruiter for a fast track officer program that they could offer to make him a Brigadier General and it wouldn't make him stay an extra day.

A year or so after coming back, he got a letter from the DoD telling him his selective service had been "activated", so of course he had to prove to them that he had already served his time. No funny ending to the story or anything, I just imagined what his answer to this thread would be, since they actually did try to draft him after he had already served a full tour.

[Darth Raptor]

I'm not sure I can be drafted. Considering I've failed the physical requirements once already.

But I picked burn an effigy of W. It sounds like fun! Who wants s'mores?

[Oni Koneko Damien]

More likely is that you'd be discharged from military service but required to do something in the civilian sector (hospital, fire fighting or some other type) of job where you wouldn't have to go against such deeply held principles (refusal to kill, if you told them you won't because you're just scared of getting killed, you'd probably be seeing prison).

Oh good, so, if I actually have the guts to stick to my moral values, they'll make me do something I feel no compunction against doing, and I pretty much get a free job out of it? Holy fuck, maybe this draft thingie isn't so bad after all, get enough people like me in there and the civil-service sector will never want for personnel again.

-Damien

[The Yosemite Bear]

Yeah, me too, poor eyesight, documented mental instability, and diabetes.... oh and to top it off, my mom's activities before I was born has me on the Terrorist Associate List, because I used to live with Black Panthers, and "Weathermen" (age 2 till 6) yeah like I actually think communism would work bullshit...