If the army is all voluntary, then how come soldiers can't leave whenever they want?

Question

I'd think a regular job is more voluntary than the army

yeah, but if you volunteer at anything else you can say "never mind" and go home, and on a regular job you can just quit if you want

Answer 1

I agree, makes sense you should be able to quit when you want to

Answer 2

You obviously don't have an understanding of what a volunteer military is. A large number of countries use conscription for their military. Conscription is mandatory military service for all legal residents and citizens at age 18. The U.S. military is all volunteer military because it is not mandatory to do military service at age 18. The only legal requirement for men at age 18 is to register for Selective Service. A person who does volunteer to join the military signs a legally binding agreement to serve for a predetermined amount of time. The military requires that a person does a total of 8 years of service. The 8 years can be broken into 2, 4, or 6 years active duty, and the remainder in a reserve status. The person has an option of doing the reserve status as either a drilling reservist, or inactive ready reserve (IRR). Persons on IRR status are legally bound to activation by the military. A person that does a full military career and retires at the 20 year mark are entitled to retirement benefits that include medical treatment, and retirement compensation. Also the retired person is put onto a retired ready reserve status. Which means a retired person can be recalled to active service for 10 years after retirement. This has been done before by the U.S. Navy when bringing the battleship from ghost fleet back to active service, but this is a different story to go into.

Answer 3

The answer is simple, they all have a legally binding contract to serve in the military for x amount of years. A contract that is not easily broken. The only voluntary part about the military is that you volunteer to join the rest is most definitely not voluntary. I was a soldier once so there you go.

Answer 4

The members of the armed services sign a contract voluntarily enlisting. The contract obligates them to a set period of service.

What about an airline pilot currently flying a 676 with 200 passengers. He and the co-pilot stand up and say they quit since they volunteered for the job. Is this OK with you...or are they obligated to keep flying? Or you are in the middle a heart transplant and the doctors walk out because they volunteered to do your operation. How do you feel about your doctor walking out and letting you die?Under you thought process their walking out must be OK with you..right?

By the way how many jobs have you quit, walked out on just because you didn't like the job you volunteered for? It sounds like you quit a lot of jobs.

And you must be the most ignorant person in the USA when it comes to how the military works. I have no doubt that you would run away, desert...quit and abandon your buddies if we ever needed you in the Army. Coward comes to mind.

And a note toRosesharo...you dare compare the US Army to prison? It sounds like you have spent sometime in prison. I bet if you had to choose between 4 years in the Army or 4 years in prison...bet you would happily join the military...prison like and all.

Hey Chance20...you didn't answer the why or any part of the question. It is because they signed a legally binding contract. It has nothing to do with feeding, clothing and training them. Practically everyone else mentioned a contract but you. So what...everyone but you is wrong. Let me guess you have never served in the military and thus know nothing about how it operates. Perfect.

Answer 5

Anyone who joins the Army signs a contract saying that they are going to follow all orders, despite any person opinion in the matter. If they just walk off the job there is a price to pay, just like any job that is contracted. Most civilian places that contract their employees have a monetary price if someone doesn't follow through with any of the stipulations in that contract.
Being in the military is more then a job. You contract yourself out to do the will of your superior officers.

Answer 6

Its voluntary because no one can force you to join. You can't leave whenever you want because you take an oath and sign a contract saying you won't, come on think about this one just a little bit, what would have happened if all the soldiers back in WWII said the hell with it and went home.. we would be speaking Japanese that's what..

Answer 7

Enlisting in the armed services of the United States IS voluntary. A soldier volunteers for a set length of time. When that time is up, he may be discharged (That is, told he no longer needs to serve), or he may reenlist, or seek to enter the officer corps.

Answer 8

Enlistment is voluntary, but the enlistee agrees to a term of service, usually 2, 4 or 6 years.
Officers who learn a profession (doctors or dentists) agree to 8 years of training, then 8 years of commitment after that for a total of 16 years.

Answer 9

Is there a hint of bias? You take an oath to defend your country (something liberals hate). Then you learn discipline. If you are a real looser they will let you out after making you see what a worthless peace of garbage you are for not sticking with your fellow soldiers. Then they will give you less than honorable discharge papers, because you have no honor. Yeah, you can leave but not on your own terms.

Answer 10

Um, you can't leave whenever you want in other jobs either! If your a doctor working 24 on 24 off you can't leave after 10 hours of working just cuz your tired!

Also, they volunteered to make a commitment to the ARMY(or NAVY or Airforce) /no one made them agree to do what they do...thats why I have so much respect for them.

Answer 11

When you join the service you sign a binding contract. The are ways to get out of the service, both honorably, and dishonorably. If you get hurt, if you become mentally ill, if you become unfit for service.
If you work in the private sector and sign a binding contract you also have to life up to the terms of the contract or pay money to buy yourself out of it. You know like football players, musicians, or performers.