Benefits of Conscription
Unfortunately, throughout history freedom has come at a price for those who believe in a free-world. According to “Free World.” Collins English Dictionary, the definition of free world is defined as such: Countries of the world that have democratic and capitalistic or moderately socialistic systems, rather than communistic or totalitarian system (“Free World,” def. 1). England, France and the United States all adopted conscription, (mandatory military service) in order to remain free from control by other countries. The United States has used conscription in several wars to fight the enemy. However, after the Vietnam War, selective service became a voluntary, and the draft was no longer used as a means to defend
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the nation. As society changes and global terrorism is more prevalent, the question becomes,” Should all American men and women between the ages of 18-25 give two years of compulsory service to the nation?” All men and women should serve their country for these reasons; Conscription builds community service for the country, it is the duty of every American and provides useful skills to young adults. To date, according to the Central Intelligence Agency, the United States are voluntarily enlisting both male and females at age 18 for a minimum of two years (Central Intelligence Agency). but a mandatory service to the country can build a strong community service program in all Americans, and for this reason all young Americans should experience compulsory service. To start with, community service builds a foundation and appreciation of freedom. Community service evokes unity. Together, along with the social consciousness that all Americans serve, unite the country to work together to protect civilians, which in turn gives a sense of pride to both country and the individual. Volunteering is a vital part of the American system. Sacrificing to serve country for all people’s freedom is the ultimate commitment and reason community service is crucial. By all countrymen committing to community service for the nation, it will ensure the following ideas. First, the more military numbers and family members serving, unites both civilian and active duty family members. Together strength in numbers and families, becomes the deterrent to acts of war or without exhausting all resources for peace. A raised consciousness and vested interest in protecting servicemen from harm gives rise to alternatives to war, plus comradery among fellow Americans. In turn more members of our nation get involved and participate in the protection and freedom Americans value so much. Ultimately, community service through conscription reveals honor in duty, reinforcing pride and accountability from all Americans and a reason to serve a mandatory two years,” call to duty”. Every American has the duty to defend the United States, leading to the second reason for national service obligation. After 9/11’s terrorist attacks on American soil, Mr. Charles Rangel introduced the bill (H. R. 1152. 112th): Universal Service Act of 2011. Sec 102 of the bill reads: a) Service Obligation- It is the obligation of every citizen of the united states and every other person residing in the united states, who is between the ages 18-25 to perform a period of national service a prescribed in this title unless exempt under provisions of this title. b) Forms of national service- The national service obligation under this title shall be performed either- As a member of an active or reserve component of the uniformed services; or In a civilian capacity that as determined by the president, promotes the national defense, including national or community service and service related to homeland security (House rept.1152). Rangel’s bill proposed national compulsory service should not be limited to armed forces. In his interview with USA TODAY he commented that service should encompasses other community and public service throughout the country so the men and women in service could choose from service such as, Job corps, homeland security or emergency/ disaster response both home and abroad(Rangel, Charles). Another aspect of duty is why Americans rely on a small percentage of the population to bear the responsibilities of protecting freedom while also preventing/ fighting /stabilizing acts of war? William L. Hauser a retired Army colonel and political science professor wrote an article for World affair, a Social Science Journal stating, “only one percent of the nation’s eligible population serves in the armed forces, and almost no sacrifice is asked of the rest of society”(Hauser, William). Should not all of the citizens of the United States share in the responsibility? According to Fowler’s online Etymology dictionary, citizen/citizenship is defined as- 1. Being vested with rights, privileges and duties, 2. The character of an individual viewed as a member of society; behavior in terms of duties, obligation and functions of a citizen (“Fowler”). Every American should commit to the duty of protecting the American way of life. A perfect example of this is Israel and their practice of compulsory military. The first prime minister of Israel, David Gurion, was quoted as saying,” IDF is not only a means of defending the country, but also a means of integrating and building Israeli society”.(mahal- idf-volunteer) Located in a hot bed, the country of Israel struggles with religious ideologies which lead to violence and conflict from surrounding countries. However, Israelites “call to duty” keeps the military strong and unified, as both, men and women serve under conscription. Moreover, Israeli’s young adults view their service as a rite of passage and a chance for new ideas, people and things (mahal-idf-volunteer). Israel is considered a powerhouse when it comes to military numbers and is recognized by other countries for their military presence in the Middle-East and throughout the world. Conscription, although not very pleasing by textbook definition does give pause and a different perspective of how mandatory community service could benefit America as a whole and a reason to pass the bill, H.R.1152 (112th). Newton’s third law of motion states, “For every action there is equal and opposite reaction”.
(Isaac, Newton). Analogous to the duty of Americans to protect and serve for interest of country. Two years of compulsory service can provide useful skills to young adults for a life time and the reason to enact conscription. To most young adults the first question is,” how is this going to benefit me?” “What do I get out of it?” First, military service can give a young adult direction in life. If a young man or women is not sure of where or what they want to do or be in life they can fulfill their commitment to two years of service while they decide what they want to pursue in life. Service can also provide opportunities to pursue new interest, new trade skills or finite and master skills. Compulsory service can also provide a young adult with life skills that can be beneficial throughout life. A two year commitment can insure communications skills which will be beneficial in the future and are essential skills to both personal and professional lives. Additionally, implementation of conscription builds leadership and the keys to success. Service can also provide young adults with healthy choice in life, whether it be physical fitness, mental stability, being an active member of society or having self-confidence. These are all attributes earned by serving and a reason that compulsory service is useful to young
adults. Civil-libertarians will argue there is no need for implementation of conscription in the United States. Free will is usually the first argument posed by the opposition. Followed by, Americans will be risking young lives in war and finally arguing, some people are not a fit in the military. Acquiescingly, Conscription at first is a hard pill to swallow, however it can work and can benefit society as a whole. Without freedom, which is basic principal for Americans and yes, too often taken for granted. There is no” free will” in a conquered land. In the case Americans become loggerheads, unwilling to commit, leaving the next generation vulnerable due to the lack of knowledge in the severity, imperativeness, and the crucial role U.S. support services provides for betterment of the nation, as well as proving to those who wish to take away the very freedom of “free-will” Impossible, because of the commitment to government and country through conscription. The opposition argues that young lives are being put at risk, but are they really? Would not a young adult be a better human being learning skills, volunteering time and honoring his fellow man? If all our young adults serve for two years in military service is not the country’s priorities shifted to protect those individuals? Would the country as a whole not become a stronger force to be reckoned with? Conscription is like a domino effect, if one falls we all fall. Young adults are more at risk wondering aimlessly unsure of life then they are with skills, knowledge and direction. Finally, Naysayers argue that not everyone is a fit for the military. The solution is simple. Selective service, community service, conscription would no longer be about just uniformed military service. There are other choice of how, when and the time frame to do it in. If it were a perfect world, there would be no need to debate the fact there is a need for conscription in this country. It is a delicate balance where not just some play by the rules but all individuals who live in this land. Conscription can sound like a scary thing but when it is broken down it becomes less fearful. Truth is, it seems fair, just and balanced for all. In 2002 President Bush said in his state of the union address, “Every American [should] commit at least two years-4,000 hours over the rest of your lifetime-to the service of your neighbors and your nation.” (Qtd.in Hauser, William) Conscription gives Americans the opportunity to serve and protect, lifelong skills, along with the fact volunteering provides the foundation of a well-rounded person.
Every American is Free, and because of many others, are safe. They are able to lay their head down on a pillow and go to sleep knowing that they aren’t going to be shot by soldiers of a different country in their sleep. They don’t have to hide inside their houses and watch fighter vehicles crawl by and wonder if they are going to live to see the sun rise the next day. They are safe because there are men and women over in different countries killing those that threaten our existence. If there was ever a debate about reinstating the draft, I think the answer would be yes, do it because there would be that many more people fighting to keep us safe, those that maybe debated it before would go through with it, and the troubled teens that rebel against
...e unnecessary moneymakers, products of lies and deception behind the scenes, orchestrated by powerful and rich men who usually never suffer but, rather, gain from their machinations to create war. I support a National Service Obligation system that would draft all persons, at age 18, to serve for 18 months in some form of public service. This would allow American citizens to contribute to the country in different ways. But it should be one?s own decision how to contribute to the country. As said before, I believe that reinstating the military draft will not increase patriotism or a sense of duty, but will rather decrease the effectiveness of the military and will create huge protest feeling among country?s citizens. Therefore we should explore every possible way to contribute the country?s future instead of just putting our future and ourselves in the Meat Grinder.
The way conscription is described is that it requires every young man or woman to serve in the military service for two years. In this description, "requires" is only a euphemism for "forcing". A requirement simply means it is not optional, which is exactly what forcing includes. Demanding that a young person change his or her life is immoral and should not be added to our society. Even if our country did not have freedom as our foundation, conscription would still be an iniquity.
Generally, reinstating the Constitutional draft would solidify the meaning of being an American citizen. Often, wealthier and more privileged people are able to ask for exemption from serving, which makes representation of soldiers in combat composed of less-privileged citizens. With compulsory conscription, all American citizens, men or women, ages 18-26 are subject to be recruited for the armed forces. In fact, only 4 members of the 107th Congress who voted in favor of the Iraq war had children serving there. Politicians would know how it feels to have loved ones in a war, instead of freely speaking about wartime without experiencing it in any way.1 Moreover, Americans feel that public support for war in foreign countries is not strong because the soldiers fighting are p...
Now, the U.S. military consists entirely of volunteer soldiers, and the draft has been discontinued, though while being discontinued, Government requests that all citizens sign for national service when they come of age to enlist. In common vernacular this means that government wants all citizens to sign what is essentially a draft form when our draft has been disbanded; this legal document will force some citizens to work for the government in a way remarkably similar to the draft. (Hasbrouck)
“First, conscription doesn’t save much cash. It costs money to manage and enforce a draft- history demonstrates that not every inductee would go quietly. Conscripts serve shorter terms and reenlist less frequently, increasing turnover, which is expensive. And unless the government instituted a Czarist lifetime draft, everyone beyond the first ranks would continue to expect to be paid” (Forbes). Even though “The military not only provides training in a range of specialties; it also offers educational benefits for veterans-- including many from underprivileged back grounds-- that might not be available under a mandatory
Over forty years has passed since the United States inducted the last draftee through the Selective Service System. The Selective Service System is an independent agency of the United States, which gives the President the right or power to conscript men for military service. There have been different Acts passed by congress since 1917 that require men of various ages to register for service. Although, the name of each Act and the age requirements of the registries changed, the Acts were all similar in nature. They all gave the President the right to call men to war when he deemed necessary. In January 1973, Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird announced the creation of the all-volunteer service, retracting the need for the draft (GAO.gov). Under current law, all men between the ages of 18-25 must register within 30 days of their 18th birthday, however this information is used mostly for recruitment purposes and in case of any future crisis. There has been much controversy over this matter since the Vietnam War, when people started to realize the draft was unfair due to loopholes and draft exemptions making the draft unfair for working men. At one point in time the military draft may have been necessary, but today’s all-volunteer military has eliminated the need for a draft.
..., the draft ended and the U.S. converted to an All-Volunteer military. Many people were not in high spirits about the Vietnam War, and thought we should not be involved in it. Lyndon Johnson, the 36th president of the United States, laments “[w]e are not about to send American boys nine or ten thousand miles away from home to do what Asian boys ought to be doing for themselves” (Vietnam-Facts.info). There is a popular picture of a draft protests sign displaying the words “hell no, we won’t go.” I do believe Americans should have a right to choose to go to war or not. Many young men lost their life fighting a battle they didn’t even have faith in. Many soldiers endured personal hardships, loss of income, and leaving family behind. Most of drafted soldiers complied with the draft and served; however, many middle to high-class young men found ways to avoid combat.
...itary conscription in the name of freedom is an illegitimate, criminal organization. A government that is willing to enslave people cannot be trusted to protect your liberty. A government that forces people to fight for its goals, its protection, and its benefit has created a morally perverse situation where there is no free society left to defend” (Boldin). Another thing we must look at is without an overflow of troops; “unpopular wars are very difficult to fight. The ability to use conscription actually encourages politicians to wage even more wars;the massive resources are a temptation that is hard for the war-lover to resist. When the draft was finally undermined in the 1970′s, for example, the Vietnam War ended” (Boldin).
There are plenty of arguments for why the draft is wrong and unlawful, or even unconstitutional. When it comes down to basics, sending people involuntarily to war does sound pretty far from freedom of choice, but there is more to it than that. Understanding that it is a free country is one thing, but freedom comes at a price. Everyone wants to be free but not everyone realizes that there are times when we must fight to maintain our well-earned freedom. It is impossible in some cases to fight a full- blown war with just a volunteer army, and if it threatens our freedom, than we must fight the war with volunteers and draftees alike. In technicality, it may be wrong, but realistically, there are many times when a draft really is needed, and if run the correct way, it can be very effective.
Being a military member in the armed forces across all branches will have a positive and negative impact in both personal and professional areas of life. All military members take the oath of enlistment before they join it is a requirement before attending basic training. What most service members do not realize is that they are completely oblivious to the road that lies ahead of them. Most people join the military for a number a personal reason such as money, education, and a sense of stability. Others may join the military in hopes of being a part of something greater than themselves, they may see it as a chance to serve their country. No matter what drives one to join the armed forces it is safe to say that they will encounter both good
The benefits of the military have grown excessively, the military offers so many good benefits that it is almost a crim not to take advantage of them. The Military is an excellent career choice that presents its soldiers with outstanding benefits and experiences.
Mandatory military service, which is also known as military conscription, should be mandatory in the United States. Military conscription, a very tentative, subject among our country, have some who are for it, including all the benefits it has to offer and some who are extremely against it wholeheartedly. Many governments in history have used this strategy to build a large and powerful military that will be ready and developed in times of war and distraught. For example, the Qin Empire of China in 221 BC and the France during the French Revolution in the 1790s; Iran, Greece, Russia, South Korea, and Egypt are some of the countries that still use this tactic.
Mandatory military service is a course to make a fit and capable citizen. First of all, military service can help one's character . More specifically it gives good tools so that people can work well in a team, be more organized in everyday event and good discipline. Secondly, it can offer education to people in need. Furthermore it will help people in bad neighbourhoods or is living trough a thought time and give those without the means to be in a home and have a job. Thirdly but not least mandatory military service could be looked at as a dept owed to one's country, loved ones who are protected if ever needed and most important to our right to democracy.
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.