America's Army is looking pretty good

[JamesV]

You can actually 'wash out' of basic training? You couldn't when I went through basic, and it was 13 weeks back then.

We had a couple of people kicked out for sex, and one guy that left because of a medical problem, but if you couldn't do the push ups or something, the drill sergeants were on your ass constantly, making you do them even after other recruits were sleeping. One guy could barely do 5 when we started, and after 12 weeks of constantly doing push ups and the amount of food they give you - he passed easily at the end.

 

[micrometers]

LOL, so instead schools just tell kids to take on six-figure debts for undergraduate degrees.

Look, if the military had in-fact made a free COD4-like game with heavy advertisement, yes, I would have a serious problem with it. But looking at reality, how many teens are actually playing the game? And how many area playing COD4 instead? It's got to be at least a 10:1 ratio. At least.

Anyways, I'm in my 20's and I'm considering joining up, so to me this is good information on surviving boot camp.

 

[RampantAndroid]

Sure you can wash out. They don't want someone who is a liability.

 

[Northern Lawn]

LOL, so instead schools just tell kids to take on six-figure debts for undergraduate degrees.

Look, if the military had in-fact made a free COD4-like game with heavy advertisement, yes, I would have a serious problem with it. But looking at reality, how many teens are actually playing the game? And how many area playing COD4 instead? It's got to be at least a 10:1 ratio. At least.

Anyways, I'm in my 20's and I'm considering joining up, so to me this is good information on surviving boot camp.

I doubt it was a 10:1 ratio in 2002-2005 plus America's Army was FREE. They literally gave it away.

 

[micrometers]

I doubt it was a 10:1 ratio in 2002-2005 plus America's Army was FREE. They literally gave it away.

Well, I was pretty active in pc gaming then and none of my friends played the game. They all played CS.

 

[stlcardinals]

I'd rather the Armed Forces recruit for our volunteer forces rather than the alternative use of the draft.

 

[Craig234]

I'd rather the Armed Forces recruit for our volunteer forces rather than the alternative use of the draft.

I have mixed feelings about that. I think there are benefits to the draft that it gets people more concerned and involved about the use of forces, instead of just ignoring the military and what it does because it doesn't affect them; there's a certain idea as well that if we need to go to war, there's a 'citizenship' involved, and volunteer is too mercenary.

 

[stlcardinals]

I have mixed feelings about that. I think there are benefits to the draft that it gets people more concerned and involved about the use of forces, instead of just ignoring the military and what it does because it doesn't affect them; there's a certain idea as well that if we need to go to war, there's a 'citizenship' involved, and volunteer is too mercenary.

By your thinking then, wouldn't it be better just to use the Israel way of mandatory military service?

 

[Childs]

I have mixed feelings about that. I think there are benefits to the draft that it gets people more concerned and involved about the use of forces, instead of just ignoring the military and what it does because it doesn't affect them; there's a certain idea as well that if we need to go to war, there's a 'citizenship' involved, and volunteer is too mercenary.

There are some European countries that have mandatory service as well, although it used to be most of them. Its mainly a cost issue. It would cost the US much more to implement it. We used to have a much bigger standing military, and it was reduced due to cost. As stlcardinals point out, Israel is a more appropriate comparison though, because Israel and the US have a fairly active military. The European countries that still do it are the ones that don't participate in global ops, so maybe citizens are not so willing to support war efforts if they served. With Israel, they are fighting over sacred dirt, against other people who call it their homeland. They don't really need conscription, because they have been willing to fight to the death since WW2.

 

[irishScott]

I have mixed feelings about that. I think there are benefits to the draft that it gets people more concerned and involved about the use of forces, instead of just ignoring the military and what it does because it doesn't affect them; there's a certain idea as well that if we need to go to war, there's a 'citizenship' involved, and volunteer is too mercenary.

I'd actually be for mandatory service, but there's a difference between that and a Draft. Draftees are typically less well trained than professional soldiers, hence the reason they're only called up in times of serious peril.

 

[micrometers]

I think 2 years of service in exchange for no student debt is a fair deal.

 

[Childs]

I think 2 years of service in exchange for no student debt is a fair deal.

There are around 13 million college students in the USA in a given year. Thats a lot of money in training and living costs, and then paying off student debts. While I think that is probably more worthwhile than many billion dollar military projects that get scrapped, as we would have a more disciplined and educated citizenry, it would be hard to justify the cost.

 

[micrometers]

There are around 13 million college students in the USA in a given year. Thats a lot of money in training and living costs, and then paying off student debts. While I think that is probably more worthwhile than billion dollar military projects that get scapped, as we would have a more disciplined and educated citizenry, that would be hard to justify the cost.

LOL I know.

Still, many college students are willing to "serve" so to speak, only to find that...there are no opportunities to serve.

I think it's important to realize that the world functions more socialistically than you think. Even in red states, they have de-facto socialist institutions.

 

[Craig234]

By your thinking then, wouldn't it be better just to use the Israel way of mandatory military service?

Well, not really, for one thing 'mandatroy' means everyone serves, which created an even larger military, the wrong thing. Everyone being elegible for a draft doesn't have that.