The Advantages of Conscription

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Recommended: Why military service should be mandatory

It has long been a controversial topic of debate in the United States, whether or not our young men and women should be required to serve in the armed forces. There is proof that compulsory military service would be in our nations best interest. It has historically shown to improve military preparedness, and also has evenly balanced the burden of military service. It also helps to instill a sense of duty into those who serve. From an economic standpoint, there are numerous arguments to be made in support of conscription, including government savings. Numerous scholars write in favor of the subject as well. The government has been debating this topic since the draft system was removed from our country, and many reports written also offer strong arguments in its favor. Although there are strong arguments to keep the current all-volunteer system of draftees, it would be economically and militarily beneficial to re-impose the draft.
As a country prepares to go to war, they are faced with the dilemma of ensuring that they have a sufficient number of trained army personnel to carry out any missions they feel are necessary. The problem that sometimes arises is that the military finds itself understaffed, while already on the eve of war. This results in a scramble to recruit and train battle ready men, while using the small amount of soldiers already trained. In describing the United States military condition on the eve of the War with Mexico, Don Gross supports this concept when he says: “… With the declaration of war in May 1846, Congress authorized the call-up of fifty thousand volunteers, to be raised under the auspices of the state militias for a twelve-month period. The War Department issued the call to the following states...

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"Newsroom." Facts for Features: Veterans Day 2013: Nov. 11. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2014. .
"Selective Service System: Fast Facts." Selective Service System: Fast Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2014. .
"Serving One's Country." Stanford.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2014. .

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