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Originally Posted by Legbreaker
Yes, it makes most sense for replacements to be sent into existing units rather than form new ones.
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Up to a point, yes. Beyond a certain level of rough handling and casualties, you'd get better results skimming experienced leaders from units that had been in the line and using them as the backbone for a new unit. Once a unit is bloodied enough, you're talking about a thin core of experienced troops and a mass of replacements. Being able to put that together far from the front under more controlled conditions may be a lot better than feeding raw meat into the grinder.
More generally, you want both, though -- a battle casaulty replacement stream and a new unit stream of incoming personnel.
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In the initial 2-3 years of the war, I'm fairly certain draftees would be looked down upon by the volunteers. After late 1997 however, this view would be bound to change.
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Honestly, I can definitely relate to Paul's earlier comments about being anti-draftee since I came up in the same era and all. On the other hand, though, draftees can't be any dumber and screwed up than some of the volunteer entry-level Joes I have to deal with. I think NCOs down at the platoon/company level wouldn't care so much about draft status as they would about whether the individual brought his A game and learned fast.
The potential for valuable civilians skills would be a definite plus, but let's remember that in a post-industrial service economy you're at least as likely to get guys whose resume is limited to fast food jobs or pursuing a philosophy degree as a guy who was a trained welder or who'd grown up helping his dad run the family farm. Especially if Selective Service or other conscript scheme was pulling from the 18-22 age cohorts rather than something like 26-30 (and to be fair, in a total war, your skilled workers are more valuable doing their job rather than toting a rifle -- one of my grandfathers was working in a ship yard in December '41 and he and his coworkers were banned from enlisting by the government since their work was wartime essential).