Mandatory Military Service

[txswinner]

Re: Mandatory Military Service

The world has some serious problems. If I recall, the navy has always been made up of volunteers.

 

[Skinnywater]

Re: Mandatory Military Service

It wouldn't be a bad idea to have a mandatory two year stint in the Infantry for any children of politicians.<br />Same boot camp, same rank, same treatment and dutys.<br />After that they could re-enlist for officer training.

 

[heycods]

Re: Mandatory Military Service

What was Tx back then, Dem or repub?

 

[mattttt25]

Re: Mandatory Military Service

old thread, i stick to my original comment. but here's more....<br /><br />roughly 19 million people in the u.s. ages 20-24. let's assume 10 million ages 20 and 21. make them all serve and you add 10 million to the military.<br /><br />current military has about 1.5 million active duty. monster growth by adding all those kids. you then need even more resources to train and lead them.<br /><br />you think our defense budget is big now?????<br /><br />simple proof that what seems like a good idea isn't always one when you put it to paper.

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: Mandatory Military Service

Nice recycler there Mugsly!!!!<br /><br />I stick to my original thoughts too.<br /><br />Could txwinner be Mr. Kerry in disguise???? <br /><br />FLIP FLOP FLIP FLOP!!!<br /><br />Ken

 

[JB]

Re: Mandatory Military Service

Many countries have huge inactive ready reserves of people who recieved mandatory basic training and went back to civilian life. Israel is a prominent example. They simply never call up people deemed unsuitable for military service in emergency situations.<br /><br />The Draft is a very bad way to populate our military and should be used only in the direst circumstances.<br /><br />Motivated volunteers are what the military needs.<br /><br />My family has served for 7 generations. All volunteers. But that tradition is dying. Both of my uncles and both of my brothers served, as did I, but only two of my four children (my only son and one daughter) and so far only one of my eight grandsons is in the service (two yet to reach service age).<br /><br />That is a sad commentary on what Americans believe they owe their country. That a draft or mandatory service are even considered is even sadder.<br /><br />All Americans today seem to want to know is, "What's in it for ME?"

 

[mattttt25]

Re: Mandatory Military Service

JB- don't disagree and not arguing, but a couple thoughts from the new generation... trust me, i'm very patriotic- served 8 years as a naval officer (12 if you count my academy time). but i can almost relate to my generation and their thinking. if they don't agree with our current administration and therefore elect not to serve, does that really mean they don't love their country? shouldn't americans be exepcted to simply be good contributors to society and hope for peace? is serving in a military the only way to do that? i know your generation survived a world war and have a different outlook on things. i think we can teach each other a lot if we are willing to learn from both sides.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Mandatory Military Service

I admit, on this I flip flop. having served and was medically retired with a service connected disability I see both sides of the fence, I saw many a youngster with no direction do well in the military and many that should have been processed out with a honerable under general conditions for the good of the service yet were forced to stay.<br /> made all miserable.<br />I think for many a mandatory 1 year military/civil service would be good but not all.<br /> I think the all volunteer force is the best in the world.<br />even though there were occassions I had to ask did I really volunteer for this .<br /> I served with a few that I would not trust with a butter knife much less a tank or a truck.<br />however most of those were dropped from any real training programs early on.<br /> to actually train a midlevelE-5,E-6 techician in todays military is a 3-5 year task.<br /> ya cant learn how to keep a missle system up,keep an F-14 flying or an M-1 rolling in 6 weeks.<br /> aint gonna happen.<br />thats why the generals that got fired wanted more troops and 6 extra months before doing what they were asked to do.<br />the manpower and the gear for the reqested mission was not avalible for the requested date and someone overode the planners and went on an artificial timeline.<br /> so maybe a 1 year mandatory training would benifit not only the individual but would identify those with potential for further service.<br /> but I do know I would hate to be on a DDG with the defecation hitting the rotary oscillator with a man that really did not want to be beside me.

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Mandatory Military Service

IBFishing and Matt25 said exactly what I wanted to say on this matter. It should not be the government responsibility to teach the youth of America how to be a decent person. It is the job of the parents to teach their kids to be a decent person. I do believes that I turned out very well without the help of the military. I wanted to join the Navy but my father said "Son, you have no place in the military" and I truly understand what he mean as I got older. This post really showed the problem in America. We all want someone else to take care of OUR PROBLEM.

 

[RubberFrog]

Re: Mandatory Military Service

This is a free country. That includes being free to choose whether or not to serve in the military.<br /><br />Never trust anybody over 30... they might decide to force you to enlist.

 

[Speedwagon]

Re: Mandatory Military Service

Originally posted by gonefishie:<br /> IBFishing and Matt25 said exactly what I wanted to say on this matter. It should not be the government responsibility to teach the youth of America how to be a decent person. It is the job of the parents to teach their kids to be a decent person. I do believes that I turned out very well without the help of the military. I wanted to join the Navy but my father said "Son, you have no place in the military" and I truly understand what he mean as I got older. This post really showed the problem in America. We all want someone else to take care of OUR PROBLEM.

What I want to know, is why all those parents out there seem to think that THEIR parents were so bad, if they turned out ok? A lot of parents today seem to be very opposed to parenting the way they got it. But why? Do they consider themselves screwed up?<br /><br />And just getting out of a 6 year enlistment, I don't like the idea of mandatory. I think the military should be, in general, more highly respected by the younger generations, and taught more about it in schools. But not make service mandatory. Give them an EDUCATED choice on the matter.

 

[JB]

Re: Mandatory Military Service

I understand what you are saying, Mattttt.<br /><br />I guess I don't understand why the generations since the 60s seem to think that serving or not serving their country is some sort of political statement.<br /><br />Administrations change, political disagreements change, policies change, challenges change, but our nation and its need for a professional military to serve its interest and defend its values goes on.<br /><br />I don't think it ever occurred to me that my service was a statement about my President or his policies. To me it was a statement about my country and what it stands for and has stood for, and a statement about my heritage of being on the wall.<br /><br />Just what responsibility to our country should come with the benefits of citizenship? With all priviledges in life come responsibility. In the end, freeloaders lose the priviledges.

 

[mattttt25]

Re: Mandatory Military Service

well put jb. likewise, i didn't even think about politics when i signed my commitment letter. of course, i was motivated by a free education at arguably one of the finest universities in the country, so my situation was a little different than an 18 yr old ready to enlist today. but i think you hit it spot on- professional military. that's what we have today and it won't continue to exist if we force anyone to serve.<br /><br />but i can't fully blame a 17/18 yr old kid for thinking twice about entering the military right now, knowing he will most likely be in afghanistan or iraq within the year. i will, however, be very proud of the young man or woman that makes that choice.

 

[txswinner]

Re: Mandatory Military Service

I stick to my mandatory, many are correct that parents are doing their job.<br /><br />Mandatory service or more prisons? Cost I do not consider a problem.<br /><br />Just expand our military jobs from this war (you all knnow what I think of it and W) and put the military at our ports of entry, including shipping, airports, borders. It is foolish to believe that the present effort to stop invasion of illegals is even close to effective but with military on guard I think it would improve.<br /><br />I still believe that some at age 18-21 can get straight if they are given training in repect (people, country, God and flag), education in productive class of work, and a push start at life.<br /><br />Darn I sound like a democrat, got to stop that.