The Importance Of Mandatory Military Service In The US
Should there be a mandatory military service?
Should there be a Mandatory Military service in the US?
David Labore
Grantham University Should there be a Mandatory Military service in the US? The United States has the best military in the world. It has even been argued as the best ever in history. This has been accomplished with an all-volunteer military. The great armies of the past have been draft style, and mandatory style recruitment. The Roman’s started out as a volunteer force, but constant war caused them to change to the mandatory enlist for all able men. At that time their superiority fell and they lost control over their territory. For the Spartan’s it was also mandatory, but the idea that was enforced from birth is that you were training your body for the military. Here in the United States we have been and all volunteer force except during the Vietnam War when there was a lottery draft of all eighteen-year-old males. I did 20 years in the United States Navy and have seen over 100 sailors join the service, do their minimal 3 or 4 year terms, and then leave the service. Out of all these individuals I have met they all have one thing in common. They all don’t regret the time they spent volunteered in the military. I have noticed that they all love the country and most would do it again if asked. …show more content…
There are several positives for a nationalized military service, but there are also several reasons not to have it. The positives would be that everyone would have the training if the US was ever attacked internally there would be a huge force to call on to defend the country. Another positive would be the idea that everyone would have gained his or her citizenship through sacrifice. A negative would be that the military would be too big and too expensive to operate efficiently. According to (Briem, 2002), “there are over 4 million men and women that turn 18 every year”. The turnover ratio would be so great that the training would be lower and the military would lose it edge. The military right now has about 1.5 million personnel in all branches of service. If we were to start the mandatory service those number would swell to over 7 million in 2 years. There is not enough housing for all those people. The training would have to shorten to get all the new recruits trained. Some of the jobs the new recruits would be required to do require several months of training. By the time a recruit was done with all the training, they would be in a job of a year. They would just become proficient in the job before their time was up. There would not be that high level of skill in any area of the military that there is now with the minimum of 4 years when you volunteer. There is another idea of national service that several presidents have started through the years. Roosevelt in 1933 started the Civilian Conservation Corps. This was a military style program that did conservation, public works, and historical conservation project around the US. They received food, medical, clothing, and a small wage for their work. Kennedy in 1961 started the Peace Corps. They received living expenses, medical, and a cash award upon completion of their service. Designed to help 3rd world countries build homes, hospitals, water treatment plants, and other quality of life things. Johnson in 1965 created the Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA). This group was to help low income communities. The VISTA volunteers also received a cash award for end of service. Clinton in 1993 started the National and Community Service Trust Act (CNCS). It is known as AmeriCorps. AmeriCorps is designed to help non-profit organizations with personnel. There are too many people in the US for a mandatory military service there should be a mandatory nationalized service. If you do not want to join the military then you should be able to join any of the other types of service. Upon 18 you should have the choice of going in the military, joining the Peace Corps, or joining the AmeriCorps. If you want to go to college then you should be allowed to. Upon graduation of college you should then be required to go to into one of the 3 services as a leader in them. For the idea of a nationwide auxiliary defense force, when enlisting in any of the national services all should go through a mini-boot camp style training. This would give all citizens basic training for a defense force if ever required. The feeling of citizenship should be higher.
One way to do that is a requirement for all to serve side by side with their fellow citizen. This would create that common bond between all. (Jarvis, 1966) states, “The responsibilities of citizenship should be borne by more citizens, not alone by the relative small percent of young men who take up arms in combat to defend our Nation and concept of freedom.” If everyone had to serve in some capacity for the nation there would not be the feeling from some that the citizens take what they have for granted. Everyone would experience what it takes to keep what he or she
has. The biggest argument against the nationalized service is the idea of freedom, the idea to choose what and how you want to live your life. Yes, I agree with that. The thing that people have to understand is that freedom is not free. There comes a cost to all. Everyone would understand what that cost is and have equal share in the sacrifice. Two years of sacrifice for that freedom is not a long time to ask.
References
Level of Interest in National Service. (1993). Congressional Digest, 72(10), 229. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Javits, J. K., & David, R. (1968). Should The Draft Include Non-Military "National Service"? PRO. Congressional Digest, 47(8/9), 220. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Reingold, D. A., & Lenkowsky, L. (2010). The Future of National Service. Public Administration Review, 70s114-s121. doi:10.1111/j.1540-6210.2010.02253.x
Briem, C. (2002). A 21st-Century Draft Will Not Work. U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, 128(9), 94. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Kestnbaum, M. (2000). Citizenship and Compulsory Military Service: The Revolutionary Origins of Conscription in the United States. Armed Forces & Society (0095327X), 27(1), 7-36. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Should there be a Mandatory Military service in the US?
David Labore
Grantham University Should there be a Mandatory Military service in the US? The United States has the best military in the world. It has even been argued as the best ever in history. This has been accomplished with an all-volunteer military. The great armies of the past have been draft style, and mandatory style recruitment. The Roman’s started out as a volunteer force, but constant war caused them to change to the mandatory enlist for all able men. At that time their superiority fell and they lost control over their territory. For the Spartan’s it was also mandatory, but the idea that was enforced from birth is that you were training your body for the military. Here in the United States we have been and all volunteer force except during the Vietnam War when there was a lottery draft of all eighteen-year-old males. I did 20 years in the United States Navy and have seen over 100 sailors join the service, do their minimal 3 or 4 year terms, and then leave the service. Out of all these individuals I have met they all have one thing in common. They all don’t regret the time they spent volunteered in the military. I have noticed that they all love the country and most would do it again if asked. …show more content…
There are several positives for a nationalized military service, but there are also several reasons not to have it. The positives would be that everyone would have the training if the US was ever attacked internally there would be a huge force to call on to defend the country. Another positive would be the idea that everyone would have gained his or her citizenship through sacrifice. A negative would be that the military would be too big and too expensive to operate efficiently. According to (Briem, 2002), “there are over 4 million men and women that turn 18 every year”. The turnover ratio would be so great that the training would be lower and the military would lose it edge. The military right now has about 1.5 million personnel in all branches of service. If we were to start the mandatory service those number would swell to over 7 million in 2 years. There is not enough housing for all those people. The training would have to shorten to get all the new recruits trained. Some of the jobs the new recruits would be required to do require several months of training. By the time a recruit was done with all the training, they would be in a job of a year. They would just become proficient in the job before their time was up. There would not be that high level of skill in any area of the military that there is now with the minimum of 4 years when you volunteer. There is another idea of national service that several presidents have started through the years. Roosevelt in 1933 started the Civilian Conservation Corps. This was a military style program that did conservation, public works, and historical conservation project around the US. They received food, medical, clothing, and a small wage for their work. Kennedy in 1961 started the Peace Corps. They received living expenses, medical, and a cash award upon completion of their service. Designed to help 3rd world countries build homes, hospitals, water treatment plants, and other quality of life things. Johnson in 1965 created the Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA). This group was to help low income communities. The VISTA volunteers also received a cash award for end of service. Clinton in 1993 started the National and Community Service Trust Act (CNCS). It is known as AmeriCorps. AmeriCorps is designed to help non-profit organizations with personnel. There are too many people in the US for a mandatory military service there should be a mandatory nationalized service. If you do not want to join the military then you should be able to join any of the other types of service. Upon 18 you should have the choice of going in the military, joining the Peace Corps, or joining the AmeriCorps. If you want to go to college then you should be allowed to. Upon graduation of college you should then be required to go to into one of the 3 services as a leader in them. For the idea of a nationwide auxiliary defense force, when enlisting in any of the national services all should go through a mini-boot camp style training. This would give all citizens basic training for a defense force if ever required. The feeling of citizenship should be higher.
One way to do that is a requirement for all to serve side by side with their fellow citizen. This would create that common bond between all. (Jarvis, 1966) states, “The responsibilities of citizenship should be borne by more citizens, not alone by the relative small percent of young men who take up arms in combat to defend our Nation and concept of freedom.” If everyone had to serve in some capacity for the nation there would not be the feeling from some that the citizens take what they have for granted. Everyone would experience what it takes to keep what he or she
has. The biggest argument against the nationalized service is the idea of freedom, the idea to choose what and how you want to live your life. Yes, I agree with that. The thing that people have to understand is that freedom is not free. There comes a cost to all. Everyone would understand what that cost is and have equal share in the sacrifice. Two years of sacrifice for that freedom is not a long time to ask.
References
Level of Interest in National Service. (1993). Congressional Digest, 72(10), 229. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Javits, J. K., & David, R. (1968). Should The Draft Include Non-Military "National Service"? PRO. Congressional Digest, 47(8/9), 220. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Reingold, D. A., & Lenkowsky, L. (2010). The Future of National Service. Public Administration Review, 70s114-s121. doi:10.1111/j.1540-6210.2010.02253.x
Briem, C. (2002). A 21st-Century Draft Will Not Work. U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, 128(9), 94. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Kestnbaum, M. (2000). Citizenship and Compulsory Military Service: The Revolutionary Origins of Conscription in the United States. Armed Forces & Society (0095327X), 27(1), 7-36. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.