Caliban - Opinion and Righteous Anger

A family member sent me this article, which once again raises the spectre of conscription in the US.

The American government once again claims that no such move is being considered and that this simply constitutes a routine recruitment drive for the draft boards, whose job positions are currently 80% vacant.

This gives rise to the following thoughts in my head:

• Why were those positions allowed to become 80% vacant? I have to assume they were not needed, or else they would never have been cut in a country that has never shown any aversion to adequately budgetting for so-called defence.
• Why are they being filled now if no draft is forthcoming? Is it simply an oversight that these jobs were vacated and then not filled? I doubt it.

As usual, read the article, consider the facts and make up your own mind.