Thinking more about my post below entitled The Shrinking Pool, I am reminded of something from my youth that, frankly, isn’t at the top of my consciousness very often. The military “draft” was a very real thing when I was young.
Most men either ended up medically rated 1A meaning fit for military duty, or 4F meaning not fit. Much less known was the rating of 1Y, it said one was fit for non-combat duty and would be drafted only in the event of a global war (like World War II) demanding total mobilization.
A destroyed rotator cuff meant I was rated 1Y. I could be a truck driver or supply clerk, a code breaker or a technician, could do many things as long as they didn’t involve strenuous physical activity which could dislocate my shoulder and literally incapacitate me.
Obviously the military of the Vietnam era believed they could utilize less-than-fit individuals for their many non-combat jobs in the event of an all-out war. Why can’t they do this today?
Perhaps create a parallel rank structure, or issue different uniforms or badges to differentiate “real soldiers” from ‘desk commandos’ or hire them as quasi-civilians subject to military discipline. Come on, people, stop whining, stop wasting fit recruits on desk jobs, and start solving your staffing problem.
