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Mandatory Military Service Would Benefit the U.S. Armstrong Williams Would you like to see your son, daughter, niece, nephew or teenage neighbor become hard-working, respectful, disciplined, honorable and prepared for life? Would you like to see crime, teenage pregnancy and substance abuse rates decline? No, this is not an advertisement for a magic pill; this is an argument for mandatory military service. Each passing generation produces teenagers who are more and more brazen, disrespectful, lazy and ill-qualified for success in the real world. Thus, our society becomes more dangerous, depleted and dishonest every year. With one simple albeit radical move, our government could eliminate these problems and help our children and our country reach their potential. Mandatory military service, or conscription, could cure many of our societal ills and allow American teenagers to truly reach their potential.
Mandatory military service is one of the oldest forms of national service and is common to both democratic and non-democratic countries. Such democratic countries as Austria, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Israel, Mexico, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey require male and occasionally female citizens to participate in military service when they become 18 years old. These countries prove that conscription, when handled properly, can be an asset to the military, the society and the conscript.
Here's my basic plan for American conscription: Every able-bodied citizen (both men and women) must honorably serve at least two years in the United States military before they are 25 years old. They can enter the military branch of their liking, request to be trained in a specific field, and serve in the state of their choice. Furthermore, the military will guarantee that conscience objectors or conscripts wary of conflict will be placed only in non-hostile positions. After two years of service, conscripts are free to depart the military if they choose to do so. Story Continues Below
Mandatory military service benefits the military, the country and the conscript. The military benefits because its forces increase dramatically. For a small increase in expense, it receives an influx of able young men and women including many of the best and brightest, who often avoid joining a professional army. Resources that go into recruiting programs can be used toward training, and because of higher head counts, outsourcing and subcontracting jobs can more easily be handled in-house.
The United States benefits from conscription because national spirit increases, national unity improves, neighborhoods become safer, and society grows healthier. With conscription, troubled teens who normally head to street corners enter the military and receive the training, discipline and experience that propel them to a stable and secure life. They unite with people of all sexes, races and religions to work toward a common good. This allows neighborhoods to become safer and society to become stronger. The workforce gets better workers, families get better mothers and fathers, and the country gets a more unified citizenship. Conscripts benefit from the military service because they learn practical life skills such as first aid, wilderness survival, computer proficiency and self-defense. They become physically fit, mentally strong and knowledgeable in multiple areas. Conscripts learn how to work hard, discipline themselves, follow orders, think on their feet and lead their peers. Most importantly they come away from the military with the skills that benefit society, the workplace and the family. With a college degree, the men and women who served their two years with honors will be sought after by the public and private sectors.
Of course there are many people who believe conscription armies are illegal, immoral and ineffective. Arguments have been made (and sometimes history has shown) that conscripts often have low morale and little motivation to properly serve in the armed forces. Some say that many conscripts are physically or mentally unfit to be trusted and need training, educating and counseling that the military cannot provide. And finally, because of time and resource constrictions, many mandatory military service opponents point out that conscripts usually receive only rudimentary training, which can cause bloodshed during hostile situations. Besides these noted disadvantages, some economists believe that conscription armies cost more than voluntary ones. These disadvantages are certainly valid, and I welcome them in a debate about conscription.
Mandatory military service may seem too drastic, too un-American or too impractical to implement in the 21st century, but it is a legitimate idea that deserves a fair discussion and open debate. A review of current democracies using conscription, an analysis of the U.S. military and an evaluation of our country's civilian state lead me to believe that conscription is the answer to many of our country's and children's woes.
www.armstrongwilliams.com
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