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Mandatory Military Service

M

Mister T

Diamond Member
Some countries have it, some don't.
what do you people think about it?
Should the US have some sort of mandatory military service?

 
i'd move to canada.

I feel no reason to fight in unneccessary wars so some vietnamese person can have the choice to start a business or not.

I would fight to the death if someone attacked america directly though. I'm all for saving my country, but the govt. can kiss my butt.
 
I am in the military and it was the best thing that could have happened for me. I was just floating along in college without knowing what I was gonna do, sitting and collecting debt. Finally ran out of money and my Dad suggested I join the military (Guard not active). Well I did and it taught me more self-discipline than I could have gotten anywhere else. Mandatory military service? probably not but for kids that are on the streets or just heading nowhere they should be shipped to the military to figure out their lives.

Just a bit of a rant 🙂
 
Looking at the direction this country has gone I think doing away with the draft was a big mistake.

Too many people think our freedoms come with no cost. Earn your freedom.
 
Mandatory service, no way. I work for the government and there are a lot of ex-military & military people that work here. I've seen firsthand what serving has done to them mentally, no way would I ever go through that.
 
Spongebob- Were they active service? I think that just the going thru military basic training would be enough for most people and then serve for say 2 years on a part time basis. Active...no way, the active people can get a bit crazy.
 
think it would be neccesary to have mandatory military service if the country has a relatively small population, and thus to rely only on voluntary military service would be insufficient. for such a big country as the US, it is not necessary to have such a thing. but having mandatory military service has it's own benefits as well. of course it would take alot of effort to convince the people that it is necessary, especially if you have been the military superpower.
 
Absolutly YES!

Americans ask too much of our country and give too little in return. I believe that every able bodied citizen should have to server for at least 18 months sometime between the ages of 18 and 22. I like the way the French Army does it... if you have to be conscripted (mandatory draft) you get 18 months at very low pay... if you volunteer (minimum 24 months) you get well over double the pay. How about a little patriotism and dedication to the country?

Simply going into the military doesn't mean you are going to go fight and die in some war. It does mean that in case the country needs you that you are trained to do something useful in the military if needed. It can alse instill discipline and a sence of duty.

I believe strongly enough, that I would say that unless you are handicapped, you should not be permitted to vote unless you have served your mandatory service to the nation. For consciencious objectors, there could be medical training and the like.

Joe
 
No way!! We are not a military state. Those who want to fight will. The rest of us will keep paying our taxes which fund the military.

BTW - My Mother and Father were both in the Airforce, my little Brother is a Marine and my Grandfather was "career" Army.
 
Hmmmm..... also, to follow up on my last post....

Consciencious objectors could do "military-like" duty in work crews. Building roads, doing construction projects, servicing government motor pools... there's plenty of non-military work that could be done as a part of mandatory service to the nation. I do think that it should all be run militaristically though... uniforms, STRICT discipline, etc.

Joe
 
<<but for kids that are on the streets or just heading nowhere they should be shipped to the military to figure out their lives>>

I agree:
As a general rule of thumb, I beleive if you have a college degree and upon graduation you become an active POSITIVE member of society, you should have a military exemption. Those who wish to do nothing with their lives, drop out of school, collect welfare, etc., should be required to partake in military service. It would be the only way to help them become a POSITIVE influence on society.

 
my brother was an Airborne Rangerwho served in both Panama and the Gulf. When he was honorably discharged, i can say he was scarred for life. His whole personality changed in a few short years.
 
Different people have different experiences. Unfortunatly, you brother sounds as if his were somewhat negative. I served in a front line infantry unit in the US Army and also am a graduate of France's Commando school. I thank God for the positive changes it made in me and in my understanding of myself.

Case in point... there have been times here on the job when I've felt it necessary to work 30 hours or more straight without going home and without sleep because of equipment that was down that I take personal responsibility for. Others think I'm crazy and don't know how I can concentrate or even be willing to do it... but they've never spent 40+ hours awake in cold, wet, hungry, miserable circumstances... so they cannot reach into the experience of knowing what they can be pushed to and how much more they can accomplish than they would ever admit to themselves. Many things you do in the military (especially in combat arms units) push you WAY WAY beyond your comfort zone... many times you are required to do things that would make you quit a job as a civilian...but in the military you aren't allowed to &quot;quit&quot;. Once you break some of the fear barriers that pain, hunger and fatigue create, you can do WAY more for the rest of your life because you have a much clearer understanding of how much you can actually do and how easy it is in comparison to things you have already done.

Joe
 
Yes. I truly wish I would have joined in between high school and college. So many different ways it can help develop a person.
 
MrAnderson, our workforce is very old age-wise, a lot of the people here served in vietnam. I agree with you though, it seems the people who were in for a long time are missing a few screws, while the people who were just in the reserves are pretty normal.
 
Mandatory service? Probably not. I have, on occasion, stated to others that mandatory Marine Corps Basic Training should be instituted. I can't speak for the other branches and the type of basic training that they have because I've only experienced the one, but I would say that out of all of them that Marine Corps training is most likely to instill discipline the best.
 
We have mandatory service in Singapore and I would say it was MOSTLY a waste of time. Not totally though. I learnt the most during my basic military training and after that was posted to a regular platoon where we have regular exercises and stuff like that. It was all pretty interesting but then it became a routine after the first six months in the regular platoon. I would say that it's beneficial and should be implemented but only for about 12 months. Two years is too long.
 
No way. I'm not going to let myself get sent to Bosnia or some other podunk country just because some politician decides that we need to force everyone to be just like the US. Of course if the US were directly threatened (as in WWII) I would certainly reamin in the US and find some way in which to aid the war effort without my having to kill people, which I will not do.

Zenmervolt

EDIT: Spelling.
 
Fvck that. Half of my damn Federal Taxes go to the Military, now your asking me to go serve, also. The Military are my servants and they protect my ass. That's why I pay them and it'll always be like that.
 
So, it sounds like you're saying people that support Mandatory Military Service are not opinionated themselves. What are you gonna bring up next, that I should follow your religion, as well? There's no law that says I have to feel pride and honor for this fvcked up country.
 
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