Do you think we should make it mandatory that after highschool, you must join the military for one year before you can continue onto college/university like some other cultures do?

NO! A thousand times no! In Vietnam, I learned the hard way that having someone in your unit who would rather be almost anywhere else was extremely hazardous to the health and well-being of everyone else. An all volunteer Army is the direct result of this finding.

No. No one in the chain of command of US forces wants a return to the draft. Semi-motivated and unmotivated draftees drag down motivation for all. Training costs increase with the turnover of short enlistment terms. There are other considerations too numerous to count.

Absolutely not, for several reasons.

First, the cost.

Approximately 2million people turn 18 every year. It costs anywhere between $10,000 and $400,000 to train and mobilize a soldier. Now multiply those figures. That's an enormous cost. Much more than the cost of our current volunteer military. Who foots the bill? The taxpayers.

Secondly, our military is voluntary for a reason.

Morale is very important to the efficient functioning of a military. Since our military is voluntary, it can be assumed that most people in it want to be there and bring high morale to their unit. Add thousands upon thousands of fresh highschool graduates who were forced to enlist and the morale of the entire unit will go down. Cohesion is very important to the military to function, and low morale and an influx of people who simply do not wish to serve would put a great strain on the men and women who want to serve.

Third, not everyone is cut out for military service.

Military training is strenuous, stressful, and dangerous. Not everyone is cut out for it mentally or physically. Youths with heart disease, obesity, depression, or other illnesses could have problems with the training, as well as actual work involved with the military. These problems would put additional strain on military command as well as medical services, and it would take additional PT training to get obese trainees in shape.

No.

Some form of public service work which also included the military option yes - but not just the military.

A year spent helping people who are worse off in your local community would benefit your country much more. It would narrow the gap between the have too much and the have nothing. Start thinking about yourselves for once and fixing your own problems at home first.

no!!!, I do not believe in the draft and I do not believe in mandatory military anything... no need for it at all

Hell no. I would have rather gone to jail for five years than serve in the military for one year.

not really. after basic training & then tech school, they wouldn't get much done.

I don't think it is a bad idea. It's been floated around as long as I can remember. The positives are always having a large trained military, discipline and maturity opportunity before entering college, and a citizenship who has all served his/her country. You really can hardly argue with the value. Many also think that if you quit school before graduating high school you should automatically be enrolled in the military for two years. I see value there as well.

No, I think that would be awful, why would you want to do that? That gives young people even less control of their lives, and what if they were ill or something and were unable to join, they wouldnt be able to get on with anything else because they wouldnt have done their year in the military. I think the whole idea sucks.

Public Service should begin with entry level stuff like the service or peace corp or community service of some kind.

No one wants public service when you risk lif and limb for a fewhundred a month but they all want it when it pays high six figures and benefits.

We need to find a way to reward public service that begins at the entry level.

Some people do not even thank someone. Some people actually dislike service persons and veterans.

Peace corp was once seen as draft dodging but since there is no draft this stigma should not apply any longer, so loose it !

One of my best friends from high school went to a community college in nurses training for two years, then joined the Navy and totally loves it.
Now assigned to a medical group she says, considering everything, pay, travel, training, education, and casual sex, it's like the land of Oz.

Not necessary.

I think that would be a great idea! I've said it myself. I wish I'd done that myself!

Errr... no?

We already lack enough "freedom" in this "land of the free", why make it even worse?

Military?

No.

I'd recommend that they spend a year or two doing the scut work. You know, the 'by the side of the road collecting trash' detail.

Nothing like sweating your arse off doing manual labor to help motivate a person in college.

Gee if I don't study and instead do a kegger I'll be back to collecting trash again.

I live in Japan, where we don't have that rule, so you go ahed while I laugh at you from my computer. Here I go! Ha Haha!Haha ha ha!

NO NO NO a thousand times NO! Does anybody really want the government to have much control over our lives?

Yes, a thousand times Yes! We need national pride and we must appreciate the wonderful country we live in. To serve her is a great honor and privilege.