EXTENSIONS of REMARKS February 5, 1980 EXTENSIONS of REMARKS NATIONAL YOUTH SERVICE AS Morale and Performance on Duty
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1934 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS February 5, 1980 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS NATIONAL YOUTH SERVICE AS morale and performance on duty. In every shape and would be slaughtered just like AN ALTERNATIVE congressional office I know, there is a sheaf the divisions sent against North Korea at of cases where some young man has volun the beginning of that war. It scares the life teered for four years only ·to learn that he out of me that my husband would have to HON. PAUL N. McCLOSKEY, JR. had a three-year option; had been promised lead and depend on the men in his compa- OF CALIFORNIA education and training, and after about six ny. They would be worthless., · IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES months of not getting it, has pointed to J'Tom another standpoint, the current some recruiting misrepresentation~ The system is working unfairly against the poor · Tuesday, February 5, ·1980 South has traditionally been the area from and minortties. We are a rich, powerful, pre Mr. McCLOSKEY. Mr. Speaker, Dr. which we drew volunteers most easily. Re· dominantly white nation. Yet an increasing e cently, however, nine recruiting officers percentage of those we call on for the most Martin Anderson's article from the have faced criminal charges in North Caroli onerous duty of citizenship-defending our · autumn issue of CommonSense ap na alope, in a widespread investigation of re freedoiilS-are poor, blac~. or brown. The peared fn the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD cruiting frauds. 8 If that situation continues, disparity in Vietnam was bad enough. While Extensions of Remarks on Wednesday, we have a harsh decision to make. · 17 percent of our population is black or January 30, 1980. Because we have · The Senate Armed Services Subcommittee Latino, these two minorities suffered over ·seen evidence "that the All-Volunteer on Manpower voted four to three to restore 40 percent of infantry_ casualties in that Army concept is not working, I would draft registration. • The House Armed Serv war. If we went to war today, that percent like to respond to this very important ices Committee voted 30 to four to restore age would be higher. If you recall the registration for the draft.• Our two commit· famous picture of President Carter jogging issue by calling to the attention of my · tees of expertise in the House and Senate in Korea with the front-line troops near the colleagues the following comments both feel that we must prepare to return to DMZ, you cannot faU to have noticed that· which appeared in the same issue of the draft. Last September, the House of nearly all of those soldiers with ~im were CommonSense. Representatives voted to defer registration black. None of us should feel too comfort NATIONAL YOUTH SERVICE AS AN ALTERNATIVE because Members did not feel the evidence able having our whfte-dominated nation of was sufficient as yet to convince our politi· (By PAUL N. McCLOSKEY, Ja.) affluence and freedom asking that our most cat" constituencies that a return to the draft difficult task be perf-ormed primarily by the None of us wish to consider a -return ·to is necessary. 11 This is a controversial politi poor and minorities. the eli-aft if the all-volunteer force concept cal issue which politicians may be reluctant It is not that 'we want to return to a draft. is working; or can be made to work. to face squarely, particularly in an election In the past year, however, it has become It is that we may have no other alternative year. Congress has agreed to defer consider if we are to spread the burden fairly and . · increasingly clear that not one of the four ation of registration pending a thorough · also to have a quality f'.ghting force consist branches of the service has been able to re Administration study of the all-volunteer ent with our national security. Nor are we cruit the required number of Qualified force, with consideration of alternative solu- considering a draft because we need a larger young people. Despite increased recn,Uting tions including a return to the draft or the Army The overall size of our Army may budgets, I think it fair to state that there· National Youth Service concept., well be reduced ln future years. Even now are very few reasonable young men today SOLDIERS OF QUALITY we would need perhaps only 400,000 young who will volunteer to be combat-ready sol· men of the 2.1 million who turn 18 each diers in time of peace. And the question be Our pr1m e concern must b e t h e quail tY 0 f vear. If we ·include women, this is less than comes: if we cannot get reasonable young those soldiers who make up our military "" men to volunteer, can we afford an Army of forces. In time of peace in the past, it may one-out-of-10 of the total 18-year-old popu- unreasonable or unqualified people at a have been possible to get.by with less than a lation-one-in-five if we lnclude men only. 11 time when the requirements of skill in han cross-section of citizens of the United States There is no way to keep high morale in an dling sophisticated weapons systems and making up our armed forces. But today, the armed force made up of individuals who coolness in tense international situations job of a combat soldier is mo_re complicated. were the· one-in-five or one-in-10 unlucky have never been more necessary around the A soldier. may be assigned to guard nuclear enough to be chosen by lottery. None of us world? weapons in Germany, or guard an embassy want to return to a draft where there is a It has been suggested by some that we in Tehran. Today, the job of a combat sol- college exemption · that places the burden should douli)le the pay in order to attract a dier calls not only for coolheadedness but oruy on those who can't-qualify or afford 'to better quality volunteer. But payroll costs also for intelligence and technical skills not get into college. · have increased from $21 billion five years needed in earlier days. There have been oc- It seeiilS basic to me tha~ we should seek a ago to $28.7 billion this year.' It is my un casiona·in American history where wars oc- return to the prinicple that George Wash derstanding we are already spending 55 per curred because someone was trigger happy- ington laid down in 1783: that the privilege cent of our defense budget on manpower the first shot at Lexington, for example. of being an American justifies a duty to costs, compared to only 25 per.cent by the The Boston Massacre occurred · and in- serve the country a year or two in one's Soviets.• Can we afford to increase this per flamed the 13 colonies when ·someone fired youth. centage? Even if we could, there is no assur a round into a crowd by mistake or panic. A If that ciuty is to be accepted by today's ance that it would sol e the problem. lack of coolness or mistake in judgment at idealistic young people, the duty must be I have visited half of the 24 high schools the Brandenburg Gate could · lead this universal and shared by all. The opportuni in my congressional district and asked the nation into war. We need quality soldiers of ty of serVice to the nation and community question: "How many of you will volunteer intelligence and common $ense to deal with should include civilian as well as military to be combat riflemen if I tell you you are today's communications equipment ·and service. It is on this basis that I have pro- , going to·train in the jungle or desert..Jn :the weapons systems. posed the National Youth Service concept summer and the Arctic in the winter, that This need is not being met. In the last sev- <H.R. 2206>. you are going to run 20 miles a day, that eral years, the Army has had to downgrade you are either going to be hot, tired, and its ·training manuals from the 12th grade to THE NA'l'IONAL YOUTH SERVICE ACT dirty, · or cold, wet, ·. and miserable-how the eighth grade level, and recently to even Essentially, the bill provides for four -op many of you will volunteer if we double the lower leve~.· The May ·2, 1979, Stars and tions to each 18-year-old. Each young pay from $418 a month to $836 a month?" I Stripes reports a test of 450 soldiers in West person, man or woman, could volunteer to have yet to see a single hand raised. Germany revealed that only seven could ·serve in a combat arm for two years. If he or People can be led to enlist by promises of read at the 9th grade level! • With respect to she did so, at a prescribed minimum subsist· travel, ·_ education, and cushy, interesting the quality of-the American soldiers in Ger· ence wage, such a volunteer would receive jobs iil the Army. But in many cases, these many, a German police spokesman in Erlan four years of college benefits as compensa · promises constitute nothing less than fraud. gen, asked about increasing crime rates, was tion. The subsistence wage would not be the Duping the ignorant and unwary into volun quoted: "I get the impression that over the current pay of $418 a month, but closer to teering <which appears to be happening last two years, because of the all-volunteer perhaps $200 per month.