2006-07-22 14:50:01 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Military
I have to agree with Eagle.
Compulsory military service is not a good option, especially compared to volunteer, fully professional armed forces you already have.
Belive me. We still have compulsory where I do live (sure, since a few years they're declaring they'll switch to professional, but so far, there are only some advances to it). And it doesn't produce real, combat-worthy troops. A mass army was in place during WW 1 & 2, when you had to simply provide enough cannon fodder for the meat grinder those wars were. But nowadays, you need highly trained professionals.
And it takes years to train them, not to mention money. And it's damn, damn hard to train someone who doesn't want to be trained.
When do you learn better? When you are forced to, with all the rigors and codes that are going to be used to punish you when you don't learn? Nope, you just learn how to avoid learning anything.
But if you have the freedom to say "**** this, I'm outta here!", you learn because you want to learn.
We have a voluneer training programme for uni students here, and it involves a summer training camp. Every officer that works with the students claims he prefers them to the regular, conscripted youngsters from the compulsory service. In six weeks, they say, they can teach the volunteers more than the draftees in a whole year.
I remeber a press article from one-day visit in such training camp - in the morning, the volunteers do line in front of their commander / instructor, and he asks "Ok, ladies and gentlemen - does anyone want to go back home? Go back to your mum? No problem, the truck is waiting, jump in. No one interested? Then grab your equipment, we have training to do!"
The volunteers know thay will have a tough day. Jumping, running, crawling, digging in dirt, mud and whatever else is there. That they'll be tired to the limits before the night comes (of course, they know the instructors will be fair - tough, but fair - to them, as they know the instructors are their teachers, not oppressors). And all they have to do to avoid it is step out of the line and say "I want to quit", and they'll be let out as soon as the papers can be prepared (i.e. circa two hours, if I know the military bureaucracy). C'mon, the truck is there, waiting to take you home. If you stay, you do it of your own free will.
Mind you, being a soldier is a tough job. Not everyone is suited to do it - just as not everyone can be a doctor. Or lawyer. Or lumberjack. You don't make everyone to be trained as umberjacks, do you? Let everyone to be god in whatever they might be good at. Even if it is NOT the military.
Like me - I won't become a full-time soldier, a regular. But as a rerserve, a "weekend warrior" I'm okay. But there are people who won't feel right doing that... should we force them?
2006-07-22 22:23:00 · answer #1 · answered by mat_wisniewski 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
yes they should, even if it is to serve in the national guard or reserves, the u.s. should have a compulsory military service, then people might appreciate the freedom they have a little more. most people dont' realize that a soldier gives up half of the freedoms that he fights for. that means when i signed my name on the dotted line, i have to fight so other people can have all the rights that they take for granted, and I don't even get to enjoy the same rights. but I do this with pleasure and pride knowing that not everyone has the intestinal fortitude to do what I do.
2006-07-22 14:54:34 · answer #2 · answered by thirteen_fox 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Summed up in seven words.
Absolutely. Positively. Without a doubt and yes.
Maybe not full fledged army, airforce, navy or marines but R.O.T.C, National reserve and the like.
Not only would it get the non motivated and off of the street corners, but would give them a lesson on values, discipline and get rid of the all too often seen "I dont give a c*ap attitudes.
Now, none are afraid of anything because even the police and court system dont enforce the smaller laws as much because of the need for the "real" criminals.
I actually wish it was mandatory for me when I was in school. I think I would have made it a little better for myself.
2006-07-22 15:06:28 · answer #3 · answered by billydeer_2000 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it would be a good idea. Kids today are growing up in a touchy feely society that doesn't want to bruise their egos and are not taught self-discipline. The military teaches self-regulation and it teaches it fast. It would be a kindness to give the youth of the United States some structure and coping skills before they're tossed into a world their parents chose not to prepare them for.
2006-07-22 14:56:58 · answer #4 · answered by Lex 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no!
as a former drill sergeant, i can tell you that the army gets enough pieces of crap into the service, just on a volunteer basis.
if we start draggin' people in off of the street, then we get the true scum of society being reviewed and wasting the time of those who are to pick and choose from the crowds.
-eagle
2006-07-22 15:22:44 · answer #5 · answered by eaglemyrick 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
YES!!! For everyone from the poorest to the richest person in
this country and absolutely no Exceptions. 18-35 years of age.
2006-07-22 15:07:05 · answer #6 · answered by Vagabond5879 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. That's a blatant violation of the 13th amendment. Forced slavery for the state is slavery.
2006-07-22 14:53:29 · answer #7 · answered by eatmorec11h17no3 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes..But only for the President and the rest of the government.
2006-07-22 16:08:36 · answer #8 · answered by coonrapper 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, we can't afford to train and house 20 million extra troops.
2006-07-22 14:54:04 · answer #9 · answered by Black Sabbath 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
After my own experience, I would rather have one hundred people that wanted to be there, rather than one thousand that had to be there.
2006-07-23 02:39:13 · answer #10 · answered by The_moondog 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋