Military Service: Manditory or Volunteer?

While admittedly the current United States military is spread rather thin throughout the world, there is no reason to re-institute the draft that was used during previous violent encounters. However, there are a number of compelling reasons to institute the policy held by many countries around the world and require at least the men to serve a limited term of service. Most European countries requires that the young men upon completion of high school (those attending college receive a deferment) serve in their country's military for a three or four year term. In Israel the women are required to serve for two years.

In recent years there has been a trend toward a gross lack of respect by the younger generations; a term of service in the military would instill some respect for themselves, others, and even more importantly for firearms which are used to settle the smallest of disagreements in increasing frequency.

Since members of the military are forbidden to use illegal drugs, requiring military service would also help to reduce (at least a small part) the increasing drug problem. Members of the military are also required to be in good physical shape which would cut down on obesity among the younger generation - for a time - helping to reduce the increasing costs of health care since problems surrounding overweight would be cut down.

Requiring people to serve even a two or three year stint in the military would go a long way to solve the ever increasing problem of employment. With the trend of outsourcing jobs to other parts of the world all in the name of saving a few dollars the United States is creating a problem of unemployment that is only getting worse with the passage of time. Serving in the military is a guarantee of employment as long as the service person does not break the law. The lack of available jobs continues to increase the amount of money required to fund social service programs; some of that money could easily be transferred to paying members of the military a salary and increase the tax paying population in the process.

With more people having to serve time in the military the amount of money required to fund welfare programs and Medicaid would be reduced; this money could be redirected toward caring for veterans who have been injured and/or are unable to work after their term of service.

Requiring more people to serve military terms in the regular service will free up the reserves to help with issues at home such as the natural disasters that have plagued the United States in the past few years. And having someone serve a short term of service might even have the added benefit of some of those people staying for longer stints of service. And at least those who served would have some useful skills to take with them when they left to help in finding further employment outside the military and with the price of a college education moving toward a perk only for the rich the rest of us need all the help we can get.

Being a member of the military is an honoured profession just like being a policeman or fireman. Like the ad says, it's not a job it's an adventure.