Because they’re only getting about 60 percent of the new recruits into the system, they’re also taking an increasing retention. What I have recommended to the services is that they take a real hard look at extensions of enlistment periods, or delaying dates of separation or retirements for folks who are eligible to do that, in order to keep that side of the equation up.
The extension of enlistment periods (stop-loss) is absolutely allowed even though it is not apparently the first thing the military is thinking of, and I mentioned that possibility last week:
Military recruiting is naturally suffering during the Wuhan Flu. Although at some point you'd think some young people will see a military job as better than no military job. But basic training is a group project with little in the way of social distancing possible. So even if recruiting was fine, how do you bring the new people in and turn them into troops? I wonder if stop-loss will be used in the short run to maintain numbers. Or maybe troops will be persuaded to stay in a bit longer to make up for lower intake because of the lack of job opportunities in the civilian economy. And the morning after I wrote this I see that the Army has stopped moving recruits to basic training. This is just for two weeks to put policies in place. Perhaps every recruit is isolated for two weeks before basic training. Even if this works, there is going to be a recruit shortfall. Let's see if stop-loss action is next. A lot of troops may be shocked that their contract with their last years of service in the reserve component gives the Army the option of making that active duty service. If memory serves me. [emphasis added]
The Left went berserk during the Iraq War when stop-loss was used to maintain unit cohesion while a unit was in the war zone--and not as a "backdoor draft."
Still, I think there is a decent chance that stop-loss won't need to be used because enough troops will extend their service voluntarily rather than try their luck in a lockdown economy. Which could be enough to get through the slump in recruiting.
Although at some point won't recruiting go back up as people decide the military is a good option to get through our lockdown economy and get out when our economy is running again?
If stoploss is used, I assume the Left will more easily go berserk in today's Resistance environment.
