He has yet to answer Questions on Military deployments, Overseas commitments and Compulsory Service

by Clifford F. Thies

First it's Rand Paul asking for his voter registration card. Now, it's the liberal media asking why he didn't serve in the military.

Did the Donald think the media was going to give him a pass on his personal life, like he was a Democrat?

"I actually got lucky because I had a very high draft number." -- Donald Trump

Well, it turns out that Trump's first "explanation" was one of those phoney-baloney stories that maybe you tell yourself and others enough times to where you actually start believing it. No, he wasn't a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania's business school when they pulled his number (and mine). He had graduated a year earlier. And, so what if he got a very high draft number (mine was 365). He could have volunteered (like I did.)

Trump, where do you stand on Abolishing Selective Service?

Army Captain Cliff Thies's dog tags and Military I.D., 9 years in Vietnam era Service.

But, in his case, by the time they shifted to the lottery, he was nearing the end of his eligibility for being drafted, whether by selective service or by the lottery. How is it that he had not been inducted in, say, 1966, or, 1967, or any other year prior to the shift to from the selective service system to the lottery system?

Well, like a lot of other blowhard/blowdry conservatives, he worked the system. For chickenhawks like Dick Cheney, born early during the babyboom, avoiding the draft involved staying in school, with a college deferment, until you got married and had at least one child, when you qualified for a dependent deferment.

For chickhawks like Trump and Bill Clinton, born a bit later, when the deferments tightened up, avoiding the draft involved angles such as getting disqualified as 4F (which is how Trump actually avoided service) or simply dodging the draft (a la Clinton).

For some people, the routes taken by George W. Bush (service in the Guard or Reserve) and Al Gore (getting assigned as a military reporter or REMF [as in Rear Echelon M*** F***], with his his own personal bodyguard) were less than honorable. Even the routes taken by John McCain (Naval Aviator) and John Kerry (swift boat commander) have been questioned.

Such questions are almost inevitable when military service is compelled from some and not from others. In comparison, nobody can today question the gallantry of our men and women in uniform today, of whatever branch, or whether active duty, Guard or Reserve.

Mr. Trump, how will maintain the dignity and prestige of the US Military?

But, the little fact that we now have a voluntary military is missed by the Donald. It's all about him. Not about the country. Here is what Ronald Reagan said about the draft.

“I oppose registration for the draft . . . because I believe the security of freedom can best be achieved by security through freedom.” -- Ronald Reagan

He did not want to see the uniform of our country become a symbol of servitude. And, he dedicated himself to providing the pay and benefits and conditions of employment that would able the military to attract and retain the number and quality of personnel our nation's defense requires.

So, the real issues are these: What are you going to do, Mr. Trump, about maintaining the prestige of military service, given the fact that you personally did not serve in the military when you were a young man? And, what are you going to do about the "pace of operations," relative to the size of our military, that has for years required frequent overseas deployments by both our active duty and Guard and Reserve forces?

Editor's note - Although we generally like Donald Trump here at LR, he is not without criticism for sure.