Re-instated U.S. draft

[.45cultist]

Another point is the influx of military aged men from Mexico. They may get offered citizenship for service, skipping the citizenship test for honorable service.

[ToughOmbres]

Originally Posted by Adm.Lee

Whereas, I've assumed that combat troops too wounded to continue in the line would be rotated to those same kind of rear positions.

If secondary MOS are/is "still a thing" in the modern US Army some of those with combat arms as a secondary MOS could be used to fill gaps. Bandsmen for instance were notorious for having mortuary affairs/tagging and collecting deceased remains as their secondary MOS.

A co-worker who was a combat engineer was told by their officers that they were (his words) "grunts with shovels and heavy equipment" and perfect for acting as a fire brigade in the event of a breakthrough.

Plugging the line with transportation, specialists like water purification or public affairs is great in an extreme emergency-then you have to train those specialists and get them in the AIT pipeline to replace those KIA/WIA. Tough balance.

[Homer]

Originally Posted by .45cultist

Another point is the influx of military aged men from Mexico. They may get offered citizenship for service, skipping the citizenship test for honorable service.

That’s very likely.

The legal framework for naturalization through service in the US armed forces has been established under 8 USC 1439 and through previous special acts such as Lodge-Philbin. Service in a period of hostilities allowed for shortening of some of the time requirements established under the 1991 revision (“six and six”). It wasn’t uncommon to see soldiers enlisted under this incentive in formations during the 90s (I variously served with soldiers from Poland, Colombia, Dominican Republic, and South Africa).

During T2K the time period would be shortened, and the benefits of service advertised heavily.

[Ursus Maior]

Originally Posted by Raellus

[...]FDR, on the other hand, was an internationalist who believed that the USA had a duty to stand up for democracy overseas. He needed a fait accompli to put the USA on a war footing without angering the American public. In 1940, FDR convinced Congress to activate a peacetime draft by promising that draftees would not be deployed overseas. Enough folks in Congress either played dumb or were legitimately fooled into voting for it that it passed. The public largely accepted the peacetime draft because it created paying jobs at a time when the unemployment rate was still really high.

The USA in the mid-1990s was still slightly hung over from the last draft (Vietnam) but I could see Congress passing a conditional draft similar to that instituted by the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 after the Soviets invade China. -

That is an excellent historical analogy for use in T2K, I think. About every T2K timeline would have to deal with "less peace dividend" (if any) during the 1990s and thus more pressure on Western economies and job markets. Already in the early 1990s a sellout on German heavy industries had begun, the Chinese bought whole running steel plants. And of course, during the 1980s Japan, Taiwan and South Korea had begun pressuring Western markets with their consumer electronics and other tech products.

If the West has less money during the Clinton era ("it's the economy, stupid!"), jobs will be much scarcer. In Germany, we had large problems with unemployment during the 1998-2005 period of chancelor Schröder (who later turned cloaks and is now a Gazprom board member). If that period starts earlier and similar developments occur in other Western countries, including the US, the European Community as well as the former WP members (depending on the timeline/edition) would be much less stable and look a lot more like the 1930s. That might include nationalist, populist and irredentist movements, similar to to what former Yugoslavia and Albania experienced during the period.

If Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and perhaps even Czechia and Slovakia experience similar - yet weaker - periods of instability, big armies wouldn't look out of place at all. That of course sucks even more money out of the coffers.

[Ursus Maior]

Originally Posted by .45cultist

Another point is the influx of military aged men from Mexico. They may get offered citizenship for service, skipping the citizenship test for honorable service.

Any takes on the conditions and time of service? Something like "5 years" with a subclause in fine print that says "if war is declared, this period is extended until Congress declares that the war is over"?

[castlebravo92]

Originally Posted by Ursus Maior

Any takes on the conditions and time of service? Something like "5 years" with a subclause in fine print that says "if war is declared, this period is extended until Congress declares that the war is over"?

Current and past laws:

https://www.uscis.gov/military/natur...litary-service

1 year of honorable military service + 5 years lawful residency

or

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?...edition=prelim

serving until the end of hostilities during a war

[Raellus]

I completely agree with y'all that in the T2kU legal resident aliens (and probably some foreigners holding particular types of visas) would be enticed to enlist in the US military with the promise of fast-tracked citizenship.

However, I wonder if the government would be forced to reverse this policy once Mexico invades the US, due to public outcry from certain demographics.

-

lolz, there will be more than a few people 'promised' US citizenship via military service who will have enlisted just before the MILGOV/CIVGOV split, only to realize that DOD isn't the agency with the statutory authority to grant US citizenship.

I wonder how interested CIVGOV DOJ INS will be in granting citizenship to people serving in MILGOV post split...

(rhetorical question - hence no question mark)

[castlebravo92]

Immigrant non-citizens with residency are still obligated to register for the Selective Service even today.

Where it would get interesting is non-resident aliens, ala a Foreign Legion component.

Imagine being a Mexican national crossing over from Juarez in 1996 to sign up with the US army at Fort Blitz to get US citizenship, getting sent off to fight with the 3rd ACR in Europe (or the 5th ID), working your way back via Going Home to Red Star/Lone Star to find yourself in Mexico after the border moved north a few hundred miles.

[Ursus Maior]

Originally Posted by castlebravo92

Current and past laws:

Thanks for the links, will look them up.

[Ursus Maior]

Originally Posted by Raellus

I completely agree with y'all that in the T2kU legal resident aliens (and probably some foreigners holding particular types of visas) would be enticed to enlist in the US military with the promise of fast-tracked citizenship.

However, I wonder if the government would be forced to reverse this policy once Mexico invades the US, due to public outcry from certain demographics.

-

I could see the second happening or at least be discussed publicly with some people perhaps even refusing to cooperate or follow orders by soldiers "with that look". For dramatic purposes, this could also be something that comes up once CivGov and MilGov split and seek political allies as well as followership within the wider populace: Hardliners taking over CivGov and pragmaticists steering MilGov.

Also, I could envision a second package of laws legalizing not recent, legal immigrants, but also illegals under a certain age. This would work similar to the various iterations of the (failed) DREAM Act: Persons of militarily relevant ages, e. g. 17-31 could benefit from legalization and full citizenship, if they meet conditions as described by @castlebravo92 or past laws, i. e. until the cessation of hostilities.

[Targan]

Not relevant to the US obviously, but my Australian citizenship was granted astonishingly quickly after I applied to enlist in the Army Reserve.