Sam2 – I don’t know what ‘statements by Gedolim’ you’re referring to. While there is a strong push to learn, I’ve never heard a statement in my life saying anything like that, and I’ve spent my whole life in Chareidi Yeshivos in both US and EY.
However, you are certainly correct that for a large percentage of life-time learners, the issue is not only the draft. No one here has really responded to that.