Against Reinstating the Military Draft On July 1, 1973, Congress chose to end the draft in favor of an All Volunteer Army. According to "The Professional Bulletin of Army History, No. 27," the last man was drafted in December 1972 and reported for training in June 1973. Now, not only might the renewed military draft come back but also the age of compulsory service in the meat grinder might be extended from its former limit of 26 years up to 42 years of age. As Ken Adachi, the editor of ?Educate Yourself,? reports, a new draft will include BOTH men and women. While at various points in history the United States military has operated effectively and efficiently with the draft, reinstating the draft would contradict the ideals of …show more content…
Post 9-11 military enlistment numbers spiked because individuals wanted to serve and protect our recently attacked country and our way of life. If individuals are forced to participate in a military campaign, the government will be relieved of one of the checks that help prevent them from engaging in unpopular or unwarranted campaigns. Sure, the government makes us do all sorts of things: serve on juries, pay taxes, have a driver?s license. When the government requires possession of a driver?s license it is for our own security, to make sure that only those who are capable to drive are on the road. When we are being asked to serve on jury, it is for our interest as well. As a society, we get to take a part in a legal decision and make sure that justice is done in our country. Even the requirement to pay taxes eventually is for our interest. The tax money helps the government to do things for us as a society, such as financing culture events, helping elders and people in need. However, asking us to risk our lives for something that not all citizens believe worth fighting for is not in our interest. People should not be forced to enlist in the army, which is one reason why we should not reinstate the military draft. In other words, since we live in a country based on freedom, the government should not take away our right to decide if we want to fight or not. We should not be forced to fight a war. We should not be forced into the meat grinder and possibly killed
The United States should not bring back mandatory military service, also known as “the draft”. I personally am not supportive of the draft due to many issues including health and mental concerns brought about by the war. These concerns include Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Depression, and Substance Abuse, just to name a few. I also feel that the education of the soldiers would be limited because after age 18, most people go to college. Age 18 is also the age males must enlist for the draft. If I were forced into the Army due to a draft, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to live life to the fullest. For instance, if a soldier was severely injured, the injury would affect the way that person would of live the rest of their life. The injury could even potentially cut the person’s life short. The mental health, physical health, education, and life in general should be taken into consideration before the United States sends young men and women out to war. These diseases are very harmful and we should think about others not just ourselves.
Previous conscription implementations have been proved to be devastating to its nations. The economy depends on the workers and cannot possibly be maintained if many of said workers are drafted into the military. Civil liberties must always be prioritized over national security in the United States because that is what the nation was built upon. Lastly, with all the other alternatives present there is no need for a military conscription to occur. Overall a mandatory military conscription in the United States clearly should not be an event that arises in the foreseeable future due to previous conscription efforts, possible economic effects, the infringement of civil liberties, and other
“I think we ought to have a draft. I think if a nation goes to war, it shouldn't be represented by a professional force because it gets to be unrepresentative of the population . . . .” (Fayette, par. 2). Those are the words of General Stanley McChrystal, the former senior commander of international forces in Afghanistan, speaking of his stance on whether the United States should bring back the draft. The American public has become disconnected from the military. The time has come to do something about this; it is time to reinstate the draft. There are three reasons why the draft should be reinstated. The costs of military personnel have soared in recent years, it would make elected officials think twice before sending troops overseas since there will be a larger pool of draftees it would create a melting pot of backgrounds. Although there are those who condemn the draft, they miss the point entirely. Without question, the draft should be reinstated immediately.
Wanting to be able to continue the war effort in Vietnam, President Nixon asked the congress to create new draft law, effectively extending the current draft. Under the law which defined how a draft could be made law, one clause denoted a specific timeframe for which any new law could be created after one had expired. “The end came after a series of lawsuits challenged the draft upon its re-enactment and renewed conscription in 1972 without regard to the 90-day waiting period required in the original Korean War era draft law.” (Selective Service) This clearly states that a mandatory 90-day waiting period must be observed. Nixon paid no respect to this and neither did Congress, making those men drafted after the expiration date, essentially drafted illegally. This is illegality is further reinforced by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals which found against the United States in a dispute over the draft law setting a precedent that it was, indeed, illegal. Not only was the Draft law found illegal, but the personal social lives of those drafted were forever harmed.
The military draft has been a controversial topic for many years in American society. The idea of a military draft has drastically changed between World War II and the Vietnam War. During the times of World War II, military service and draft was widely accepted by many Americans. During the World War II era, citizens felt that they had an “unlimited liability to perform military service when required by the state” (James 2). But as time progressed, military service and draft in the Vietnam War, constructed many doubts amongst many Americans. The U.S. draft is controversial between many Americans opinions because of its unfairness.
Having young men or even women drafted in the military would benefit everyone. The soldiers would benefit from gaining the knowledge and on-the-job training for a career when they get out and the militaries would not be suffering from the shortage of troops as they are today. It is a win-win situation!
The Military Draft has been a major part in United States history. The draft has been used in four different conflicts in the United States of America. It was used in Both world wars, the Civil war, and the Cold war. It might have been effective during these times, but it also causes great corruption and sacrifice. It caused families to lose their sons and friends. Many people lied about their age to join the war, and they were too young and didn’t understand the consequences of war. War is never a good thing to be in, in any circumstance. It this paper I will give you reasons why we don’t need a United States draft. As Americans we have to be thankful that we have a strong and productive Military, so we can have our freedom and safety in times of need.
This is why reinstating the draft may possibly be a good thing, because war is heavy burden. With less individuals in an army, more has to be carried by each person. This can cause issues, which may affect the outcome of the war. Responsibility can be divided up among a larger group and the load for each individual is not so restricting. It is also important to remember the cause of the war. It is also vital in determining what is necessary to win the war. This has an effect on the amount of drafts that are issued. Protecting the country and the rights that we all enjoy is something everyone should all be concerned about. It is the responsibility of the nation to protect itself, with whatever means
Would you be willing to drop everything right now and join the military? Thousands of men were troubled with this question in the twentieth century. The United States draft, also called conscription, was first used during the Civil War but later used in WWI, WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Napoleon was the first general to use the modern draft. In 1940 FDR signed the Training Service Act of 1940 starting the first formal draft in the United States, but in 1973 congress decided to have an all-volunteer military. President Carter decided to resume the draft in 1980 due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Today the draft is not used but the US still requires its 18-year-old
I do believe there should be a draft for the war on terrorism. I know we are keeping soldiers over in the Middle East too long just because there are not enough American troops to rotate and send them back home. If we were to reinstate the military draft, then our troops that are dying because they are tired and fatigued would come home and there would be fresh new soldiers that are ready to fight for
For most of American history men, and women have rose to the occasion in times of war, and joined. Women served as nurses, and cooks, while the men fought. This idea of fighting for our country is slowly fading; the U.S. Civil War, World War I, World War II, Vietnam war, and the Korean War all used drafts. What if everyone was required to spend two years in the military? When did the idea of fighting for one’s country, one’s freedom, leave the minds of young adults in the country. A two year draft might not affect you, but your children, your grandchildren, and so forth deserve to live in a country that is great. Fighting for your country should be something everyone takes part in; we should not take our freedom for granted; the United States of America has your back, give the country
The people that favor the military draft, such as former talk show host Montell Williams, who is a retired Naval officer himself who started with the U.S. Marines say that the armed forces are too stressed with fighting two wars at the same time. Montell Williams said, “Why don't we spread out that stress and start making more people put on the uniform and defend this democracy?” ("Reinstating DRAFT Could Stop Bad Military Behavior," par. 3). Having to fight 2 unpopular wars attract very few people to join the military out of desperation, therefore the same soldiers are being sent multiple times to the areas of conflict, bringing more stress to the soldiers and the families they leave behind. People in higher social class have no need to join the military service and take advantage of its benefits; therefore, the majority of the service members that compose our military are the lower class. In the case of a military draft reinstatement, the military itself will be one of the main beneficiaries. It will receive a marked increase in its force strength. It will get an influx of young women and men for
During the Vietnam War, the United States' government instituted a mandatory draft. Since it was mandatory, if a man's birthday was selected, he had to report to boot camp or face prosecution. This system was both fair and unfair; it was fair because it was not biased, and it was unfair because the men strongly disliked being forced to go to war. In times of war, the United States' government should not be allowed to institute a mandatory draft because it can cause severe mental issues and the young adults are not always prepared to take on the gruesome task of defending their country.
When you enjoy the freedoms you have living in the United States, you can thank those men and women who serve in the armed forces. But in recent years, our armed forces have seen a decline in enlistments, which has reignited and old debate. Should we reinstate the Military Draft? This one question has sparked a debate nationwide, between friends, family, and even perfect strangers. Reinstating the draft is just one way to ensure people can continue to enjoy those freedoms the armed forces have fought for over the years.
Throughout human history, war has permeated the lives of billions of people. From early conflicts such as conquests to control vast swaths of land by Alexander the Great and Cyrus the Great to modern, global wars such as the World Wars, the concept of war has been at the forefront of humanity’s mind for centuries. However, in recent years, opposition to war and lack of participation in the military has become a common theme in many countries, including the United States. To help alleviate the troubles caused by lack of participation, the United States instituted a law allowing for the conscription of its citizens. Conscription, which can also be referred to as a draft, is defined as the compulsory drafting of citizens into military service (What). The Draft has been utilized throughout US History in a couple of prominent wars; however, opposition has manifested against the Vietnam War and the draft, rightfully stemming from ethical opposition to the war and hatred for what the war and the draft stood for.