Agency proposes draft alternate

RICH MAGDA& KELLYFrr\"LAN EDITORIN CHIEF & ASST. NEWS EDITOR

With war looming and the economy struggling, America's armed forces are looking for soldiers, and college graduates are looking for jobs. A new project from a Washington D.C. think tank could be the answer for both sides - a short-term military enlistment plan designed for college graduates.

In the "citizen soldier plan:' college graduates would be put on active duty for 18 months, for which they will be rewarded with up to $18,000 in educational benefits.

"The era of big government is over and we're trying to usher in the era of big citizenship:' Marc Magee, director of the Center for Civic Enterprise, said, according to United PressInternational

For the military, the plan means an increased number of military personnel without reinstating the draft, which the military is against. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld denounced the reinstatement of the draftin January. Enlisting coJlege graduates for 18 months will make long lasting conflicts more tolerable for the reserves and diversify the anned forces. It will lessen the costs of long-term conflict as well.

Supl)()rters of the shorMenn enlistment plan agree that the plan. which is scheduled to begin ~h 31, will help America fight the war on terrorism and on other fronts, like Iraq and North Korea.

Although short-ferm enlistees will be limited to jobs requiring 20 weeks of training or I~ skeptics of the plan question if bringing in non-military personnel for active duty is a good idea.