With the general election almost a week away, both presidential candidates are refining their stances on a variety of issues on topics varying from health care to national security to the Wars on Terror and Iraq. One issue that has reared its ugly head in recent weeks is an issue that could affect every one of us on campus: the draft.

There has been a lot of talk and accusations from the left and the right on this issue in the media (and even in this newspaper). With military terms such as “troop strengths” and “deployment timetables” entering the vocabulary of the general public, Americans are showing an intense interest in the distinct possibility of involuntary service to our country.

The draft, however, may not be a partisan issue: it may be a necessity for us to continue in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as other locations around the world.

Currently, the active duty Army and Marine Corps are stretched incredibly thin: nine out of the ten Army divisions are deployed, preparing to deploy, or returning home. Troops who are protecting South Korea against possible attack from North Korea are being deployed to Iraq in ever-increasing numbers.

To make matters worse, the Department of Defense is relying more and more on the use of Reserve and National Guard forces. While only five National Guard brigades are currently deployed, more are slated to deploy in the near future to Kosovo, Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan. While five out of 39 brigades may not seem significant, state governments heavily depend on their National Guards to assist in disaster relief. This hurricane season demonstrated how much states such as Florida, Georgia, and Alabama need their National Guard troops to help in clean up efforts.

Above all, there are increasing numbers of service members who are leaving military service because of the high-operations tempo. I myself left active duty because I knew that for the next decade I would be in the Middle East more than in the United States. The large numbers of sergeants and officers leaving the Army, Marines, Air Force, and Navy will damage the military even more.

The military, especially the Army, is attempting to lessen its burden by restructuring their units into smaller, more lethal forces and retraining soldiers into high-demand career fields such as special forces, intelligence and military police. Many of these reforms have been needed for many years, however, it is not enough to compensate for the demands for troops in the Middle East and Central Asia.

The military recognizes this (though they do not want to officially admit it). The multiple call-ups of former military from the Inactive Ready Reserve list and Reserve units, some of whom in extreme examples have Vietnam-Era equipment, doing multiple deployments show that the Department of Defense is looking for any able body for Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ultimately, whose fault is it for the possibility of the draft? Some say that Clinton should never have downsized the military and the intelligence agencies to the extent he did and then started deployments to Bosnia and Kosovo. Many forget that issues with troop strengths have been an issue even before 9/11, when the world called the United States “the police of the world.” Others say that the Bush administration should never have gone into Iraq and ignored the advice of high-ranking officers such as the former Army Chief of Staff General Shinseki.

While we Americans may want to point the finger of blame, in the end the real issue is whether the next administration will need to implement the draft. Whether or not Americans agree with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is necessary to win in Iraq and Afghanistan. I do not want to see my friends and peers drafted into the military; it is my last personal desire. The draft, however, may be our only choice. While presidential campaigns have plans to alleviate the strain on those currently serving in uniform, it may not be enough. The draft may be our final choice in the reality of fighting two long-term wars in an uncertain world.

Jeff Carnes ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in linguistics.