by James Rosone
Gates then walked around to the chair he had previously been sitting in and sat down. He looked at Steve and said, “Well, there is one way to make sure we get both the liberals and conservatives on board. We raise a war tax to help pay for the war, thus ensuring that the draft does not disproportionately hit minorities or the poor. What are your thoughts on how we do that?”
Ishaan nodded in agreement but wanted to hear Saunders’ ideas before he jumped back into the conversation. Stephen crossed his arms somewhat defensively before he admitted, “Mr. President, the tax is absolutely necessary. This war is going to be costly, and we cannot just run up the debt on this one. During World War II, the Congress instituted a war tax and they also heavily pushed government war bonds; I think current circumstances would point us towards doing the same thing now. To make sure the conservatives stay on board, we can put a sunset clause on the tax. That way the tax will end when the conflict has finished or the debt from the war has been fully repaid.”
The President raised his hand to stop Steve. “While the discussion of a tax is something we should talk over further, I want to stay focused on the draft,” Gates said as he signaled for Admiral Meyers and the NSA to continue talking.
McMillan jumped back in to provide his own input with regards to the draft. He couldn’t let the good Admiral have all the credit. “Steve brought up a good point about the draft not being directed at the poor and minorities like it appeared to have been in the past. When we announce the draft, we should also ensure that there are no deferments. No one should get out of it because they are able to afford college while others are not. If someone is in college and gets drafted, then I think they should have the option of going in as an officer if they are beyond their sophomore year. We also make sure there are no exceptions that can be handed out by those who are politically connected.”
Gates nodded in approval. McMillan took the green light to keep going. “I’d even go one step further, Mr. President. If any member of Congress has a son or daughter of military age, then at least one member of their family should be drafted and have to serve. This will ensure that people are not able to get out of service to their country because their parent is a political figure and thus able to shield them. This war is a threat against our country’s very survival; the burden of fighting it should be shouldered by every social and economic class,” Tom concluded.
Admiral Meyer was smiling from ear to ear.
The President also smiled at that idea. He turned to Ishaan and Admiral Meyer and ordered, “Gentlemen, make it happen. Admiral, I want you to begin procuring the equipment and tools you need. Now, onto the strategy. How are we going to defeat the Russians and ensure the Chinese do not annex any additional countries?”
Admiral Meyers jumped into answering this question, probably before he should have (McMillan really should have been the one to lead off since he was the National Security Advisor). “Sir, I believe the NSA and I should sit down with some of the other generals and military planners to come up with a strategy on how to do that now that you have given us the authorization to increase our military buildup. With these additional resources, we will need some time to collectively develop a winning strategy. Can I propose that we meet again in a couple of weeks to go over an initial outline?” he asked, hoping the President would give them some time to iron things out.
Gates overlooked the breach of etiquette, and replied, “Of course, Admiral. Let’s plan to reconvene in two weeks to go over your plans. In the meantime, we will move forward with the draft and the other orders we talked about today,” replied the President, satisfied with how the meeting had just gone. With that, he got up and signaled that it was time to end the meeting.
Gates did have other pressing matters to attend to. They had been discussing this matter for nearly two hours, and had gone well over their scheduled time. He rushed off down the hall; he was going to be speaking with a trade delegation from Brazil in another hour and he still needed to prep for that meeting and grab some lunch.
As the meeting ended, McMillan and Admiral Meyer left the Oval and headed towards Meyer’s new White House office with the SecDef following. In a rare moment of transparency, McMillan turned to Admiral Meyer and told him, “I’m envious of you. As a retired General, I wish I could do what you are about to do with the military and direct a real build up--not a ragtag group to fight off some terrorists, but a real standing army.” The men continued to walk down the hall in silence as they thought about what to do next.
A Message of Hope
Washington, DC
White House, Oval Office
The two previous days had been a whirlwind of activity, both in the US and abroad. The President had announced the arrest of four congressional members the previous week, and dozens of government officials and military members. The case had been clearly laid out as to how these defectors had been leaking classified intelligence to the media and to America’s enemies, and how those leaks had resulted in lives lost. These revelations had rocked the public’s trust in the government and the media, leading to hundreds of protests and rallies across the country.
In the Ukraine, the US-led NATO Force had been cut off and surrounded in Kiev. A large contingent of US and NATO Forces were marshaling to attempt to break them out, but that offensive had not started yet. Meanwhile, continued live footage of the house-to-house fighting in the suburbs of Kiev was emotionally numbing for those who tuned in on social media to watch as the city was being torn apart.
Once the Chinese launched their surprise invasion of Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar, things at home and abroad were starting to spiral out of control. The President knew he needed to calm the nerves of both his allies and citizens and take control of the situation before defeat set in.
As it turned out, not all of those who were leaking information to the media from the White House had been identified. News started to leak out of the President’s desire to draft a new army, which sent the media into a complete frenzy. In response, the White House announced an upcoming presidential address to the nation that would air at 10am eastern time on Saturday, and they requested that all of the major networks air the broadcast.
As President Gates began to get ready to give what would perhaps be his biggest speech yet, he knew he needed to accomplish two things. First, he needed to reassure the American people that America was not defeated, that the United States could win this war with Russia and defend its allies. Second, he needed to send a message to China, North Korea, and Iran that the US would defend their allies and was building a military force sufficient to do just that.
*******
The makeup artist finished the final touches on the President’s face, and then ran to the side just as the lights turned on. The camera light turned red, indicating that the message was now broadcasting live to the country and the world.
“My fellow Americans, I come to you today with a heavy heart and a message of hope. During the last several weeks, America and our allies in NATO were savagely attacked by the Russian Federation while defending the freedom-loving people of Ukraine. During the lead-up to that dastardly attack, it was discovered that a number of high-ranking government officials (and even members of congress) were leaking classified intelligence to the media and our enemies with the express intent of hurting this administration and undermining the national security of our great nation for selfish political purposes.”
“I understand that many of you did not vote for me and disagree with my policies. We can agree to disagree on issues, that’s what Democracy is all about. Our country however, is at war. A war that was not of our choosing and thrusted upon us. A war that we did not start, but will finish.” He paused for a minute, looking down and then back at the camera.
“Let’s set the record straight. There is no argument over what would be the desirable choice between peace and war, but there is only one guaranteed way you can have instantaneous peace--surrender. Admittedly, there is a risk in any other course we wo
uld follow, but every lesson in history tells us that the greater risk lies in appeasement. If we continue to accommodate, continue to back and retreat, then eventually we have to face the final demand, the ultimatum. And what then?”
The President again paused, giving the audience time to think before continuing, “Petrov and Xi have undoubtedly told their people that they know what our answer will be. They are likely having conversations in smoke-filled rooms right now, saying that we are retreating under the pressure of this war and that one day when the final ultimatum is delivered, our surrender will be voluntary because we no longer have the stomach to fight on. They believe this because of the many voices they have heard in our media, pleading for peace at any price. Protestors are out in the streets saying, ‘Better Red than dead.” However, those voices don’t speak for the rest of us. You and I do not believe that peace is so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery.”
“Should Moses have told the children of Israel to continue to live under the oppression of the pharaohs? Should Christ have refused the cross? Should the patriots at Concord Bridge have thrown down their guns and refused to fire the ‘shot heard around the world’? The martyrs of history were not fools, and our honored dead who gave their lives to stop the advance of the Nazis didn’t die in vain. Like these heroes before us, we must find the courage deep within our souls and stand up to our enemies; they must know that there are lines we are not willing to cross. There is a point beyond which they must not advance.”
“Winston Churchill said that the destiny of man is not measured by material computation, and that when great forces are on the move in the world, we learn we are spirits, not animals.[1] He told us that there is something going on in time and space, and beyond time and space, which-- whether we like it or not--spells duty. You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on Earth, or we will sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness.” [2]
“Today, I am officially announcing the rebuilding of our armed forces and a retooling of our economy to provide the tools of war necessary to win. During a midnight session of both the Congress and the Senate, a nearly unanimous vote was held to reinstate the draft. I have that bill before me now, and I stand ready to sign it to initiate the draft which will begin today at 4pm, Eastern Standard Time. Despite the tens of thousands of young men and women who have volunteered to join the Armed Forces this past week, the military ranks need to grow immensely if we are to defeat the Russians and ensure the Chinese do not threaten our allies in the Pacific. It is for that reason that I am directing the Selective Service Board to draft five million men and women to serve in our Armed Forces during our country’s greatest hour of need.”
“Unlike the drafts of the past, women (who have continued to serve in more and more combat roles in the military, and served with distinction in Iraq and Afghanistan) will also be required to enroll in the selective service, effective immediately, just as all men reaching the age of 18 are required by law. The first draft that will be held today will draft the first one million men. Women under the age of twenty-six will have one month to register for the draft. There is no set criteria or quota for the number of women who can or will be drafted; they will be selected based on their birthday and year, just as the men are.”
“The selective service will hold a draft on the first Saturday of each month, drafting one million young men and women into the military. That number may be reduced, depending on the number of volunteers that willingly join the service prior to each draft date.” He paused for a second, feeling the weight of what he had just announced.
“It pains me that I have to be the first President since the Vietnam War to have to institute a draft for military service, but make no mistake, the world is at a turning point. The democracies of the world will either rise to the challenge of our age and defeat these autocratic dictatorships that threaten our survival, or we will collectively fail, falling prey to these violent regimes that threaten our values, freedoms, and very way of life.”
“We are not Republicans or Democrats; we are Americans. We must unite together as one people, under the cause of freedom, defend our country, and fight for the allies who are depending upon us. I ask for your prayers and the Lord’s guidance to help me make the right decisions and guide our nation through this perilous time. Thank you for your time today. God bless the United States of America and her people.” With that, the red light on the camera turned off and the transmission ended.
There was a collective sigh of relief as the speech ended. Several people in the room came up to the President to shake his hand and congratulate him on a rousing speech.
Secretly, the President thought to himself, “I just hope this draft will be enough and the Chinese will not seek a confrontation with the U.S. I’ve been pressing the Chinese ambassador hard lately to keep them from attacking any American allies, but I just don’t know how much good that is doing. The last time I spoke to President Xi, it did not go well…”
The Marines are Coming
Camp Pendleton, California
Once Lieutenant General (LtGen) Roy Cutter got off the phone with the Secretary of Defense, he let out a soft whistle. His executive officer and the rest of his staff stopped talking amongst themselves. All eyes were on him.
“Well, we are deploying to the Pacific…” Cutter announced, “…the entire Marine Expeditionary Force. The SecDef says he wants us deployed to Japan immediately.” He knew that his entire staff would have to get to work immediately if they were going to make the deadline they had just been given.
“What is the timeline for when he wants us to be in Okinawa?” asked his G3, the head of his operations staff.
LtGen Cutter smiled the half-crazy grin of a man who is on the verge of maniacal laughter. “We have a week, but we are not going to Okinawa. He wants us deployed to Japan proper and be prepared to move out from there, to either South Korea or to Taiwan. So, once we get to Japan, we will need to stay packed and ready to ship out. We will be essentially acting as the United States’ quick reaction force for the Pacific.”
“What about the third Marine Expeditionary Force? They are already in Okinawa. What will they be doing?” asked the G2, his intelligence officer.
“The SecDef plans on having them ready to deploy to Taiwan or South Korea, depending on how the situation evolves.”
Cutter leaned back in his chair, reflecting. A more genuine smile spread across his face. “The Pacific is going to be a Marine war, if and when it happens,” he said proudly.
“It does seem like a bit of karma, doesn’t it, Sir? The Marines originally made their name in the Pacific during World War II, and now they will be the main fighting force there again,” said the G2.
“One more thing before we break and start to get the ball rolling on our deployment,” announced Cutter. “As you know, the President has initiated a draft. The Marines are going to be growing by roughly one million. That’s nearly eight times our current size, even with the reserves. I am going to need you to identify two sergeants from each platoon and one officer from each company who can stay behind. They will be assigned to the Marine Recruit Depot and will assist in the training of this new force.”
Sensing that there was about to be some push back, he held up a hand to stop the questions. “I’ve also been authorized to give any sergeant who volunteers for this duty two bumps in grade, and the officers will get one bump in grade. We are going to need a lot more sergeants and officers as our force grows, so start identifying your up-and-comers and get them ready to fill in when the time comes. As these new recruits complete training and start to fill out our ranks, a lot of people are going to start receiving promotions and new assignments,” he concluded.
Suddenly, everyone in the room was smiling. It had been getting harder to get promoted in a shrinking Marine Corps, so an increase of this size meant a fast track to the senior ranks.
Gr
eater China
Beijing, China
Chairman Zhang did not usually attend the secretive meetings of the CMC, but President Xi had been including him in them since the start of Operation Red Storm. Zhang was responsible for State Security and was the lead facilitator between China and Russia; he was also a shrewd political operative as the Chairman of the National People’s Congress, and someone Xi wanted to keep a close eye on.
As the military leaders of China began to take their seats for the meeting, Chairman Zhang took his seat next to the President. As the stewards brought everyone their drink, President Xi brought the meeting to order. His bodyguards quickly led the stewards out of the room, so the location was completely secured. No electronic devices were allowed in the room, aside from what the security service had already inspected and deemed secured. Any presentations that were to be given first had to be cleared first by the information technology security group, to ensure the files did not potentially have any malware or other spy software attached to them. The IT department under Zhang’s State Security was completely paranoid about the NSA’s spy capabilities and scrutinized everything.
“General Wei Liu, please bring us up to date on the progress of the annexation of Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar,” President Xi requested, as a way to open up the meeting. He had been briefed on the progress a couple of hours ago by the Defense Minister, General Kuang Li Jun, but for the sake of everyone else, he felt it important to reiterate the information.
General Wei cleared his throat before he began, then signaled for his aide to begin the PowerPoint presentation. The first slide showed a map of Myanmar, with various unit symbols and arrows pointing in different directions. The military incursion there was now in its second week and was showing some real progress. Already, a third of the country had been occupied to include the Capital. Naypyidaw, the capital city, had been captured the first day by PLA Airborne Forces.
