On Wed, 11 Feb 2004 10:46:05 -0600, Dave wrote:


Actually, I have it on pretty good authority that our present mix of active
duty troops and national guard is the result of a deliberate policy change
made for that very purpose after appraising the loss of support for the
Vietnam war. The problem was an undue concentration of lower income and
black soldiers among the draftees, with the middle and upper class whites
wangling deferments. (Remember that Howard Dean had such a back problem he
had to spend the war years skiing in Vermont.) The determination was made
that substantial numbers of the guard should be involved in any future war
in order to bring involvement to Main Street.

Seriously, this is not a flame, but the above doesn't make sense to me.
I've always thought that the active/guard mix is a direct result of an all
volunteer military. It's kept lean and mean during peacetime
necessitating guard usage during a war. I would also suggest a draft
brings in a wider cross-section of the public than an all volunteer
service. Middle and upper class whites may no longer be wangling
deferments, neither to they tend to enlist.