While this development rekindles a series of debates about women in the military, equality of women, and the changes in military technology, the big debate now looming is whether we need a draft at all.

The Dreaded Draft

Michael was never drafted but he lived in fear of being drafted his entire college career. Vietnam was an unpopular war especially among the young men who had to fight it. Most were drafted against their will. Many were taken right out of the classroom and put on the front lines with inadequate training. Many died and many came home with PTSD, lost limbs, and/or addicted to drugs.

Although many brave women enlisted or found themselves serving, they were not drafted against their will. Only the young men were. This practice and the unpopularity of the war ultimately ended it the draft.

Both of Michael’s brothers joined up, hoping to get a choice of duty rather than waiting to get drafted. He filed for student deferments which, as time went on, became less and less effective until his classmates were getting drafted and sent to Vietnam. Many left the country and were branded as draft dodgers and “unamerican”.  Imagine, in those days you were too young to vote, yet you could be drafted against your will to fight a war that you had no say in.

Finally, the Selective Service staged a lottery and actually televised a woman pulling ping pong balls out of a big fish bowl like it was Bingo or Keno. There were 366 balls, and each ball had a different (birth)day printed on it. The first balls drawn were the first young men drafted. Luckily, Michael’s birthday was pulled out near the end. Ultimately, the draft was ended, the war was ended, and the US stopped prosecuting “draft dodgers” in 1977. Whew!

Rethinking Our Votes in Relation to Drafting

But what’s interesting about this story is that, as terrifying as the draft was, it forced the country to take a big interest in the way their elected officials felt about the war and the draft. The draft was responsible for many casualties who were conscripted into duty from the homes of the general public.

Today, the arguments to eliminate the draft are based on the concept of all-volunteer armed forces, basically, a professional army. While we are deeply grateful for the sacrifices of our volunteer army and military professionals, we are concerned about the potential for apathy and disconnect with the general public.

Wars with conscription, or draft, generally did not exceed 4 years. Now they can go on indefinitely, apparently. Why? With conscription, it was too close to home, and now it’s “somebody else’s job.” With conscription, sons were being taken from their families and careers without their permission. Now with volunteering professionals, the tendency might be to say, “They knew the job was dangerous when they took it.” There’s even talk about turning certain wars over to private companies to avoid backlash.

As bad as the draft was, it forced people to speak out in mass about the wisdom of the war.  When elected officials sought reelection, they were held accountable by a vigilant and personally motivated majority. The subject was on everyone’s mind.

With all that said, we are not in favor of the draft. But we are opposed to the kind of apathy that allows warfare without accountability. Perhaps with women now potentially subject to the draft, we will figure out a way to end it without licensing endless wars. Our service people deserve civilian oversite and constant vigilance of the decision makers that put them in harm’s way.

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

The post Will 18-Year-Old Women End the Draft? appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.

The event had its first annual celebration on September the 12^th, and was a big success with participation in 47 of the 50 states! Going forward, it will be observed on the second Thursday of September. Hundreds of businesses throughout the country said “Thank You” with haircuts, dental visits, meals, oil changes, car washes, and tanks of gasoline. All were free, with no strings attached – just a sincere expression of gratitude.

Working with the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) across the country, we can truly appreciate the message and the impact Freedom Day USA will have on our military service people. Acknowledgement and gratitude are the most important things they can receive right now to help them validate their sacrifices on our behalf.

Since conscription (also known as the draft) was abolished forty years ago, we have moved toward a professional all-volunteer military, and consequentially there has been a growing a tendency to view the military as ‘just another profession.’ Nothing could be further from the truth! During the days of conscription, every male between the ages of 18 and 25 was required by law to register to be inducted into the military. As unpopular as the draft was, it did made every American more empathetic to the plight of our military service people and more appreciative of their sacrifices. It was too close to home.

We now have a whole generation of Americans who are fortunate enough to never have been concerned with involuntarily military service. This is a luxury and should never be taken for granted. It certainly should not make us apathetic. The Selective Service System remains in place today and can be resurrected at any time. Meanwhile we are being protected by men and women who have given up family, life, and limb. They did it so we can safely enjoy the infrastructure, order, and trade that give us our standard of living.

Sometimes we get so busy with our own lives that we take our freedom for granted. When we asked the folks at the EBV, “What is the most important thing we can say to the vets?” we heard over and over, “be sure to thank them.” They don’t want to feel like they’re on the outside, forgotten, or taken for granted. Thank you’s are definitely in order, and what better way to say thank you than by setting aside a special day when your business can give our military service people free goods and services?

Dr. Marino’s Freedom Day USA is well thought out and timely. It provides a blueprint and an infrastructure for businesses to have the most impact with gifts of goods and services. It offers a directory of participants and makes military service people in your area aware that you care. Shouldn’t your business participate in the new national tradition of giving back with appreciation? Think about what you have to lose, and then consider what you have to give. Dr. Marino and all our brave military service people, we salute you!

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

The post Freedom Day USA – A Big Thank You to Our Military Service People appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.