The
Selective Service System and the registration requirement
for America's young men provide our Nation with a structure
and a system of guidelines which will provide the most prompt,
efficient, and equitable draft possible, if the country should
need it. America's leaders agree that despite the success
of the All-Volunteer Force, registration with Selective Service
must continue as a key component of national security strategy.
"A
Relatively Low-cost Insurance Policy," says President
Clinton
On May 18, 1994, President Clinton informed Congress
that:
"Maintaining
the Selective Service System and draft registration provides
a hedge against unforeseen threats and a relatively low cost
"insurance policy" against our underestimating the
maximum level of threat we expect our Armed Forces to face....
As fewer and fewer members of our society have direct military
experience, it is increasingly important to maintain the link
between the All-Volunteer Force and our society-at-large.
The Armed Forces must also know that the general population
stands behind them, committed to serve, should the preservation
of our national security so require."
"A
Fair and Equitable Draft," says Mr. Perry
Then Secretary of Defense, William J. Perry, recommended to
Congress in August 1995 that the Selective Service be funded
adequately. "This small, but important agency,"
he wrote, "should be maintained in its current state
of readiness, and its peacetime registration program involving
America's young men should be preserved to help ensure that
any future draft, if needed, would be fair and equitable."
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