A flurry of snow blankets North Campus on a brisk Monday afternoon. Eight men do push-ups in unison. Their combat boots and camouflage gloves make imprints on the white frost.
“One, two, three, 14. One, two, three, 15. One, two, three, 16,” they chant as little patches of snow fall on their backs.
As members of the Northwestern Naval Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program, these men must serve five years of active duty in the Navy or Marine Corps upon graduation. With fighting in Iraq continuing and tensions escalating with other countries, many could be deployed immediately.
Capt. Doug Wolfe, a professor of Naval Science in the NROTC program, said the imminent threat of battle has given his students “a sense of purpose.” But some speculate that the efforts of voluntary programs may not be enough to back President Bush’s aggressive foreign policy.
Nearly two years after the United States invaded Iraq in March of 2003, rumors of a draft have swirled around college campuses, causing some to re-evaluate attitudes toward the war compulsory military service.
According to Gallup polls, 27 percent of Americans favored a draft in January 2003. As of October 2004, however, 14 percent supported a draft. Only 7 percent of Americans between 18 and 29 years old supported a draft.
The Debate
A bill to reinstate the draft was defeated by a 402-2 vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on Oct. 5, but even the suggestion of its return sparked debate over the necessity and conditions of its enactment.
Charles Moskos, a sociology professor emeritus whose specialty is the military, said despite mounting tensions with Iran and North Korea, the United States probably won’t invade those countries any time soon. He called discussions about reinstating the draft “a lot of hot talk.”
But Moskos supports a draft, with or without a new war. He proposes a three-tiered draft that would require Americans ages 18-26 to serve in the military, homeland security or civilian service. He said a draft only would work if it pulled from all socioeconomic levels.
“What made the draft legitimate in my era was that they were drafting from the top of the social latter, not from the bottom like in the Vietnam War,” Moskos said of his experience in the military during the Korean War. “Now, we are paying people to die for us.”
Military historian and history Prof. Michael Sherry opposes the draft and said many people fail to realize there are several other options.
“You can pay people more (to enlist), you can offer other incentives for enlistment or re-enlistment, you could draw more heavily on the forces of allied or compliant nations, or you can have quasi-private contractors to do some of the work involved,” he said.
The Opponents: Dying in Vain?
Faced with a continuing war, some students are increasingly hostile toward the idea of a draft — even if it’s a long shot. Many say a draft would infringe on their rights by forcing them to serve a cause they do not agree with.
“The draft would be an extension of this extensive and completely uncalled-for military effort that is going on,” said Sujata Shyam, an Education junior and co-president of NU’s Peace Project. “The youth population I know and interact with would overwhelmingly oppose the draft.”
Weinberg sophomore Darren Shi served in the military in Singapore before coming to NU. Had military service not been compulsory in his home country, he would not have served.
“(Required military service) is an inefficient use of human resources because if I go into the military, I can’t work and attain an education,” Shi said. “Also, there is no incentive for them to treat people well and manage things well (if everyone has to serve in the military anyway).”
Communication sophomore Emily Cash had a friend who died in Fallujah in November. She said her friend’s death reinforced her belief that only volunteers should join the military.
“(My friend) gave it his all, and he died for a valiant cause,” Cash said. “If you have a draft, you have people who are dying in vain. You shouldn’t be sending people over there who don’t want to be there.”
A Heightened Sense of Purpose
Although the Iraq conflict has caused many to examine the draft critically, members of the Naval ROTC said it has motivated their training.
Weinberg sophomore Kevin Brandwein said his entire family had served in the Navy, but the Sept. 11 attacks cemented his decision to join NU’s Naval ROTC. He said the war in Iraq and increased likelihood of seeing battle has heightened the intensity with which he and his peers approach ROTC.
This summer Brandwein spent four weeks in an active training camp in San Diego. He was surprised at the number of people who came up to him on the street to express their gratitude.
“People would come up to you on the street and shake your hand and say, ‘Thank you,'” he said. “It’s definitely been a heightened feeling that what you’re doing is important.”
Reach Julia Neyman at [email protected].
