Why Should Military Be Mandatory

“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.

Conscription, or more boldly the draft, has not been in place for some thirty years. While some people cringe at the thought of reinstating the draft, others have different views. This short paper will speak of those different views and the reasons why conscription of military service may not be such a bad idea after all.

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.

The draft policy for World War II (WWII) provided a good example of a mandatory military service policy that helped build and integrate the military and civilian culture (Dalehite and Birskyte 3). This helped to bring the country together in unity due to the seriousness of the cause. People showed a greater sense of “esprit de corps” or morale and a greater sense of duty during this timeframe. The resulting effect that this had on the nation was strong and was further strengthen by the return of the servicemen and women home from the War. Their influence and the nation’s patriotic zeal imbued all with the will to sacrifice and serve their country in any capacity, thus motivated by the common good. This level of patriotism and service has not been seen again until the events of 9/11 brought the nation together.

With an increase in national service that would also increase in a need for civilian service. And with that rise to balance out ratio of civilian service to national service it should be every person upon graduation should be forced to choose one or the other, civilian service, or national service. So the question is not if you think civilian service should be required or not but the question of, upon graduation which would you rather choose? It’s a serious matter that I think should be addressed to the general public. Or instead of volunteering the government should bring the draft back into effect.

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.

The topic of mandatory national service has been around for years now, and there will always be arguments on whether it should be enforced or not. Some may say that it takes away our freedom, but is it not what gives us freedom in the first place? The United States’ military, national service, as well as community service is based on volunteers. That is what makes this country great, but there are less volunteers as years go by. Crime increases, streets are not safe anymore, Americans are oblivious to what is happening around the world. There are so many opportunities to give back to the country, yet, not many care. Today’s generation is based on social trends, and self-gratification. There is also the fact that many young people do not know what to do with their life after high school, some continue to college or focus on work, others do not work nor study. Therefore, all young men and women should be required to give two years to national service because it can help solve problems as well as build the community back together.

Most people have, at one point or another, considered what they were going to do with their lives. Whether a person would like to become an activist, an artisan or a business professional, the military has something for everyone. Finding a path in life is often filled with uncertainty and procrastination. The United States military is a path in itself, should one wish to retire from it; however, should a person wish to make their own path, there are benefits for that as well that can remove all doubt and curb procrastination. Due to these many benefits, I believe that it should be mandatory for all adults to enlist for a minimum of twenty-four months.

Because of this, military organizations enforce strenuous routines and schedules to secure that level of discipline. With time, those imposed features of discipline culminate into self-discipline, as

Firstly, its important to understand that mandatory military service only hinders patriotic behavior. Contrary to popular belief, the idea of forced military service for your country only discourages those from deciding on whether they should make the military a life long career for themselves. Arthur Blaustein further illustrates this point in his article in the “National Debate Topic” mentioning that, “Opponents of a requirement for national service argue that forcibly removing people from the private-sector jobs and forcing them into civic service would likely create significant resentment toward the federal government.” With this in mind, how is our country supposed to be dependent upon these

In the world today, there is approximately fifty percent of countries that mandate their citizens to serve in their military for an extended period of time. Those countries that do require their citizens to serve base it on the simple fact that they need to be ready for war at a moments notice and if all their citizens know how to fight they will succeed in any battle in which they are placed. Israel, Brazil, South Korea, Mexico, Germany, and Russia are some examples of democratic countries that require their citizens to serve the national government, not just in the military, in order to mold a better-quality adult in today’s world. With any serious subject that is being considered for implementation, there are those who believe that such an action would be beneficial to any country and those that deem it would do nothing but tear down a society and what a country stands for. As this topic is debated in the United States, both sides need to seriously consider if the implementation of national service helps build the patriotism of its young, if it helps in solving some of the social ills that plague society, and how it develops the character of the individuals that serves.

In todays society the war in the Middle East can be considered a controversial topic. The men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan put their lives on the line every day to help keep our country free. No one has forced them to serve in the United States Armed Forces they have made their own conscience decision to serve. However these men and women only make up a small percentage of the United States population. Should all men and women be required to serve in the U.S. armed forces when they graduate from high school or should the United States require mandatory military service?

Another benefit of mandating the service of young adults is that they would be disciplined and setup for success in life as a productive citizen of the United States. Military boot camp is designed to break the recruit down to where they are not better than any other recruit, and then they train them to do their best in every task they approach. This creates unrivaled discipline and extreme excellence in every operation the United States military executes. Not only will this be useful while in military service, but also when they begin to operate in the working world. This requirement will unify the working force as a result of the mandated service. Businesses will be able to work efficiently and accurately in all that they accomplish. Again, this will improve the United States as a country. Why would the United States refuse this mandate? The only reason would be that they bring the law down to the lowest denominator of the few people who argue with the benefits. These people might say that not all people are designed to be in the military. However, the military has jobs for every make and model. Every talent is useful to the military. Making young adult serve in the military for two years would actually give them time to figure out what their future career is meant to be. Some people cannot ever be satisfied, and would object to anything! On the contrary, decisions that have the abundance of benefits as mandating service for young

This essay will consider to what extent military service is the duty of all citizens of a state. After looking to define key terms in the discussion, and with consideration of the social and military effects of universal military conscription with concise case studies, this essay will conclude that the claim that military service should be an issue of all citizens is, to a degree, valid.

The United States’ military consist of people from all around the nation, coming together to achieve one goal, to protect the freedom of America. George Marshall stated, “For many people who support the draft…the chief issue is one of