Military service in the United States should be compulsory (required) because it will provide economic and social benefits to those people who are serving as well as create a benefit for the general public as well as nation as a whole.
“The United States relinquished mandatory military service after the Vietnam War in 1973” (Kestnbaum, 18). Since then, the idea of reinstating a draft entered the public discourse on several occasions. Its proponents were particularly vocal in the aftermath of September 11, 2001 and the US military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. “Although reintroducing conscription might provoke concerns of infringing on the rights and liberties guaranteed by the US constitution” (Cowen, 170), mandatory military service constitutes part of everyone’s civic obligation and would greatly help our country become better protected in the face of rapidly proliferating global threats.
“From the onset of World War II until July 1973, the draft was a fact of life for American youth” (Warner & Asch, 169). Throughout this period of time, men were drafted into the service in an attempt to fill voids in the Armed Forces, which would not be filled through voluntary resources. Conscription was ended on June 30, 1973, and since then the U.S. Armed Forces have relied upon volunteers to fill their ranks. Currently, the number of active personnel serving in the U.S. Armed Forces is estimated at approximately 1.5 million people. Hence, only around two percent of the U.S. population is servicemen, who defend our domestic security as well as protect American interests abroad.
In an effort to resume the military draft in the US, several lawmakers introduced a series of legislative initiatives in 2003, 2006 and 2007, which be...
... middle of paper ...
... to protect ourselves against potential threats.
To sum up, serving in the U.S. Armed Forces is the least we could do to make sure that we live in a free and democratic society. A return to obligatory military service would be beneficial from at least two angles. First, it would help young people pay their due for living in such a great country. This would also convey to other societies what the American nation truly stands for. Perhaps most importantly, the draft would increase our ability to defend ourselves from grave threats to national security and allow us to protect our interests at home and abroad more successfully. I think President John F. Kennedy states it best, “I look forward to a great future for America - a future in which our country will match its military strength with our moral restraint, its wealth with our wisdom, its power with our purpose.”
If there was a draft, there would be a lot more men and women out there fighting to keep our country safe so that we can continue to lay down at night and not be afraid of what might happen to us when we do. Our military is strong, but if there was a specific number of men joining every year or so, our numbers would be higher, therefore increasing our strength. Being in the military is something to be proud of, and those that join on their own are good people, but anyone that goes out and fights, draft or not, is still a good person and should have our respect. Most people see commercials on television about the armed forces and think that it might be a good thing to go do, I know I have, but some might not put any more work into it after they see it the first time. Having a draft would get rid of that part of them that doesn’t want to get up off the couch and
Tim O’Brien finds himself staring at his draft notice on June 17, 1968. He was confused and flustered. O’Brien does not know how or why he got selected for the draft. All he knew was that he was above the war itself, “A million things all at once—I was too good for this war. Too smart, too compassionate, to everything. It couldn’t happen” (41). He was also demented on the fact that he, a war hater, was being drafted. He felt if anyone were to be drafted it should be the people who supported the war. “If you support a war, if you think it’s worth the price, that’s fine, but you have to put your own precious fluids on the line” (42). His draft notice was when he first carried his thought of embarrassment. He instantly thought if he does not support the war he should not have to go to war. The only way not to go to war was to flee the country so the draft council could not find him. He had a moral split. “I feared the war, yes, but I also feared exile” (44). This quote is so true in young adults, not only then, but also now. Peer pressure, the thought of being embarrassed if we do not do something, pushes many young adults to do things they do not want to such as pushing Tim O’Brien to enter the draft. The thought of being judged ...
...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.
Ever since the first war involving America started, there have been countless discussions on who should fight for our country. There are talks of age, gender, and if the service should be voluntary or not. In America, serving is voluntary, although, in other countries, it is not. The service should stay voluntary in America because if not, it would go against freedom and it would be a source of newfound problems within our country. Also, if youth took off two years of their lives to serve, they would not gain experience to work in the fields that need more work force.
Ever since World War II, the last war that garnered full American support, the percentage of American citizens enrolling in the U.S. Army has diminished significantly. The U.S. is a major military power in the present world; American soldiers are engaged in many multi-theater positions, consequently dispersing troops over various regions worldwide. As only one in ten citizens has served in the US Army, American knowledge of military conditions is rapidly lessening along with the national harmony that complements such knowledge. Therefore, the comprehension that American security is closely associated with a formidable military never resonated within the greater part of modern American citizens. Although antiwar activists may decry compulsory conscription as unconstitutional, it needs to be reinstated in order to solidify the meaning of being an American citizen, boost the economy by providing jobs, and unify the American people with enhanced homeland security.
I never thought I would say this but I think we should reinstate the draft. It has been years since we have wanted or needed a draft, but in view of the United States being attacked on September 11, 2001, I feel our country must be ready and prepared to defend itself. If being prepared means reinstating the draft, a mandatory summons for military service, then I think we should consider this a reasonable proposal. I think the tragic events of September 11 will evoke most people to agree with me. Since September 11 we have seen a surge of patriotism in this country that seemed hidden for many years. I am so glad patriotism was not lost, and I think most Americans would be willing to defend their country in light of this attack. We are a nation and a people who believe in freedom and democracy. It tells other nations who we are and what we stand for. It is these beliefs that lead me to believe that the people of the United States will do anything to preserve our freedom and democracy even if it means reinstating the draft. I want to prove this notion, but am unsure how to accomplish this. I have not read any recent articles in newspapers or magazines that have dealt with this issue. My textbook was not a source either. So I decided to do two things. First, I went to the Internet for any information, articles, discussions, or statements relating to this issue. Second, I decided to conduct an informal poll. This informal poll consisted of male and female respondents with an age span of eighteen to sixty two. My poll started with classmates in my Western Civilization and Studio Art classes and the professors who instruct these classes. My poll included emailing friends and family who live and work in New York, family currently serving in the Armed Forces, and a family member who is a Veteran of the Viet Nam War. Also included in this poll is a random sampling of the townspeople of Los Alamos. Medical personnel at Los Alamos Women’s Health Services, and the lunch crowd at Café’ Allegro rounded out my poll. This cross section of Americans evoked many feelings and opinions and stimulated many conversations and critical thought. These conversations exhilarated me and the results I obtained amazed me.
Millions of men were called to serve in the Vietnam War. Sometimes, the men were drafted and did not have a choice. Unlike the gift-wrapped ideals of the war that were displayed to the United States, many soldiers would find that the military life would involve far more than “real man-sized action.” To the general public, soldiers were being drafted to be heroes, but once they were forced into war, less than heroic things occurred, and no one would be able to object. The law...
Many people in the 1960s and early 1970s did not understand why the United States was involved in the Vietnam War. Therefore, they had no desire to be a part of it. The Selective Service System, which was used to conduct the draft, had aspirations of directing people into areas where they were most needed during wartime. However, people took advantage of the draft system’s deferment policies to avoid going to war. Others refused induction or simply did not register. There were also people who left the country to escape the draft. The Vietnam War proved to be an event that many Americans did not agree with, and as a result, citizens took action to elude the draft entirely or to beat the draft system.
Rich, Alex K.Moreno-Riano, Gerson. "Draft Vs. Volunteer Army: An Overview." Points Of View: Draft Vs.
“Military Draft: Potential Impacts and Other Issues.” U.S. Government Accountability Office. GAO.gov. March 10, 1988. n. pag. Web. 1 April 2014.
..., 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.
For the first part of this paper you need some background on how the draft worked throughout our history (as Americans), and how it was socially perceived amongst the citizen of this great nation. For more than fifty years now we have had a peacetime military draft. "President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 which created the country's first peacetime draft and formally established the Selective Service System" (about.com). We have been very lucky that the military draft has only been used twice now, once for W...
The penalty for dodging this new draft is simple: no diploma. In Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, angry parents and students took the local school board to court, arguing that such a mandatory service program for high school students imposed the kind ...
...datory military service can provide a way for people achieve a greater life. With the military young adult in need of a better environment would become improved in what ever those people were going to do in life. This will give people job opportunities and more dedication to life. A mandatory military service for all people between the ages of 18 and 24 would only bring good to society.
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.