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Show QlgpB SMS M n. ii 1 1 ii I ' '' DRAFT COULD BE BIG 1982 ISSUE Uncle Sam is still losing badly needed military personnel, especially skilled people. Yet, despite the Administration's Ad-ministration's assurance that it is aware of the problem and is working on a solution, the White House seems to be dragging its feet on recommending specific remedial action. Reaganites certainly are not beating a path to the door of Congress to press for higher pay for those now serving. Nor have they been prodding for revival of GI benefits. Apparently the White House is stalling while awaiting Pentagon studies of available options. But the Administration cannot delay much longer because the steady buildup of defense capability will soon be highlighting exactly how glaringly inadequate our military personnel actually is in both numbers and skills. CONGRESS TO TAKE LEAD In fact, the Administration may have already waited too long, and hence may have to content itself with offering no more than token objection to an expected ex-pected congressional drive to expand the military pay raise already scheduled to become effective when fiscal 1982 begins next Oct. 1. And, although the President is likely to propose a new GI bill next year perhaps including it in the Budget Message he will send to Capitol Hill in January it is not known whether he will really fight for jts passage. Budgetary restrictions and party rivalries preclude quick action. And these projected remedies, if enacted, may not be strong enough to stem the outflow of skilled military personnel, much less encourage enlistments in anywhere near the numbers needed. DRIVE FOR NATIONAL SERVICE In the meantime, Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Ga.) (D-Ga.) and other who view the revival of the draft as a matter of national urgency are almost primed to shoot down the all-volunteer concept for the armed forces once and for all. The opening gun in their campaign will be fired sometime this autumn when legislation will be introduced in the Senate by Nunn. At or about the same time, a companion measure will be filed in the House, in our option. ' Heart of the Nunn bill will be a legally mandated period of national service for 1 all the country's youth male and female. Men reaching age 18 would be subject to draft into the military reserves, perhaps for six months of active duty to be followed by some years of weekend and summer training sessions. The number to be drafted would depend on the needs of the services, and those not actually assigned to the military would spend relatively short periods perhaps no more than one or two weeks out of the year in civil defense or in charitable work. This latter group would not become government employes and would receive no pay for their services. CONTROVERSIAL AND DIVISIVE Once the Nunn bill, which he himself will author for the most part, is actually presented to the Senate, it is sure to get immediate national attention, for the Senator from Georgia is a bona' fide expert on military personnel. But his projected program of national service will stir fiery debate in and out of Congress for many months. It will be stoutly opposed by many business and civic groups who want no part of manadatory national service. Disagreement over this controversial matter could well be heightened if, as we expect, President Reagan declines to endorse the Nunn prescription. Without question, the issue will not be resolved for many months. While the White House may agree to go along with or at least not work against a revival of the draft, it will resist the national service aspects of the Nunn total package. Hence, the draft and national service are more than likely to balloon into a big issue in the 1982 congressional campaign. |