Women and the Draft

Young ladies who celebrate their 18th birthday starting in 2018 might have another little chore to do after the party: register for the draft. Not the kind that blows through a room on a cold night but the military draft. The US Senate on June 14th passed a military policy bill that would, for the first time, require young women to register with the Selective Service for the draft. This provision was included as part of the massive 2017 National Defense Authorization Act that easily passed in the Senate with an 85-13 vote. Indiana's senators Donnelly and Coats both voted for the bill.

Why you ask? Well in December, Defense Secretary Ash Carter stated that the Pentagon would open all combat jobs to women. The military brass then suggested to Congress that women should also sign up for the draft. Women who fail to register would be subject to the same penalties that currently exist for men, including ineligibility for federal financial aid, including Pell grants.

Its a little early to think about what branch of the service you want to join or what color camouflage you might like because this bill still has to go to the House of Representatives. There the Senate and House bills will be reconciled in a conference committee where a heated debate is expected.

It is very unlikely that a draft will be instituted anytime soon. The last time the draft was used was over forty years ago in 1973 during the Vietnam War. Israel is currently the only country in the world with a mandatory service requirement for women. Mandatory conscription for single and married women without children began in 1948. Our present armed forces are all voluntary and women in uniform make up 19%  of the military.

A recent article in US News and World Report stated: "Yes, women are daughters, wives, sisters and mothers. But they are also soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and American citizens from every walk of life. Ultimately, facts, not emotions, must rule the day when it comes to deciding what is best for national defense."

A US Navy LST 325 Finds A Home In Evansville, Indiana

   My wife and I spent Memorial Day in Evansville placing flowers on her parents and relatives graves and visiting with cousins. Pat also gave me a guided tour of the city she grew up in. She showed me where she use to drag race the boys in her dad's 56 Ford on Slaughter Ave, now a 4 lane highway, and the circuit of drive-in-restaurants she use to cruise on Friday nights to visit and meet friends. Saturday was date night.

Our tour guide explained how trucks and jeeps were tied down

on the upper deck during transport to their destination.

Though I enjoying reminiscing about days gone by, there was one exhibit on the Ohio River that I really wanted to see. A fully operational and seaworthy WW II LST. For landlubbers not familiar with Navy lingo, an LST (landing ship tank) is a ship that was built to transport troops, equipment and supplies to war zones.

The ships were built like floating shoe boxes. They were 328 foot long, 50 feet wide and had a flat bottom so they could beach themselves to unload troops, tanks, trucks, equipment and supplies.

LST 325 with Pittsburgh in the background. (jpdirottphotography)

Now why was an LST in Evansville, Indiana? Eville was one of 5 US shipyards employing hundreds of workers that turned out an LST every four months. Of the 1,051 built, 670 were built stateside. Evansville turned out 171, the most of any of the US shipyards. The remainder were built in Canada and England. My father-in-law, Leonard Preston, was one of those ship builders during WW II and proud of it. My mother-in-law made ammunition for troops.

The ship on display, LST 325, is docked less than a mile from where the original ship yards were located. The irony is that the 325 was built in Pennsylvania and last used by the Greek Navy. To understand the story behind the 325 go to www.lstmemorial.org.

Waiting to offload equipment and troops.

We arrived early for the noon tour and had a great view of downtown Evansville from the pier. Our first stop was the main deck where trucks and equipment were tied down like peas in a pod. Tanks were loaded through clam shell doors at the bow of the ship and parked in the lower deck. Troops would sleep in bunks, below deck or in their vehicles. LSTs were notorious for rocking side to side and up and down at sea. Flat bottoms do not make for a smooth ride.

Our group clambered down steep stairs and through narrow passageways trying not to smack our heads on the unforgiving metal door frames. The bowels of the LST was wide open and ready to receive tanks and other heavy equipment. A special ventilation system was designed to suck exhaust gases out of the lower deck when all the tanks were running and ready to offload.

Troops and equipment hit the beaches during the battle of the Phillipeans.

A small galley and mess area was on the upper deck along with the bridge (the bridge of a ship is the room or platform from which the ship can be commanded). The LST had to defend itself and was equipped with 1  twin 40 mm gun, six 20 mm guns, 3  Lewis guns, two 4 in (100 mm) smoke mortars.

LST 325 is fully operational and will often stop at river ports so that the public can explore this important WW II vessel. For more information about LSTs and their specs go to:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landing_Ship,_Tank.

  

TMI VA Claim Denied - McDonald Gives Second Chance

VA Secretary Provides Relief for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injuries WASHINGTON – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald has granted equitable relief to more than 24,000 Veterans following a national review of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) medical examinations conducted in connection with disability compensation claims processed between 2007 and 2015. This action by the Secretary allows the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to offer new TBI examinations to Veterans whose initial examination for TBI was not conducted by one of four designated medical specialists and provides them with the opportunity to have their claims reprocessed. Equitable relief is a unique legal remedy that allows the Secretary to correct an injustice to a claimant where VA is not otherwise authorized to do so within the scope of the law. “Traumatic Brain Injury is a signature injury in Veterans returning from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and VA is proud to be an organization that sets the bar high for supporting these, and all, Veterans,” said Secretary McDonald. “Providing support for Veterans suffering from a TBI is a priority and a privilege, and we must make certain they receive a just and fair rating for their disabilities.” To ensure that TBI is properly evaluated for disability compensation purposes, VA developed a policy in 2007 requiring that one of four specialists – a psychiatrist, psychiatrist, neurosurgeon or neurologist – complete TBI exams when VA does not have a prior diagnosis. Since 2007, medicine around TBI has been a rapidly evolving science. VA designated particular specialists to conduct initial TBI exams because they have the most experience with the symptoms and effects of TBI. As more research became available, VA issued a number of guidance documents that may have created confusion regarding the policy. VA has confirmed that its TBI policy guidance is now clear and being followed. “We let these Veterans down,” Secretary McDonald said. “That is why we are taking every step necessary to grant equitable relief to those affected to ensure they receive the full benefits to which they are entitled.” VA understands the importance of an accurate exam to support Veterans’ disability claims. The Secretary’s decision to grant relief will enable VA to take action on any new examinations without requiring Veterans to submit new claims. If additional benefits are due, VA will award an effective date as early as the date of the initial TBI claim. VA will contact Veterans identified as part of this national TBI review to offer them an opportunity to receive a new examination and have their claims reprocessed. More than 13,000 of these affected Veterans are already receiving service-connected compensation benefits for TBI at a 10-percent disability evaluation or higher, which means that the diagnosis has already been established.