Were you ever in the Armed Forces -- 2

[renrich]

I guess I am not really advocating a return of the draft. For one thing I believe there are more technical skills needed in the US Army(where most draftees would go) Draftees probably would not have the educational background or motivation to satisfy the needs of an ever more technical military. Plus a draft system would have to deal with the female problem. In order to be PC you would have to draft females on an equal basis with males. My daughters are too old for the draft now, but if they were not, they would be drafted over my dead body, unless our country had run out of men. What I am talking about is some kind of National Service where 18 years old males would have a mandatory 10 weeks comparable to basic training where they would learn some thing about discipline, drill, teamwork, Code of Conduct, the rifle and marksmanship and the ethical and moral values of the US Military. Sure could not hurt anyone but I guess I am going against my conservative belief in less government not more. That sort of program would be a monumental undertaking and be very costly. Anyway, I am thankful for the short time I spent in uniform.

[mkloby]

I think one of the biggest problem facing the military now is retention. We keep losing good NCOs and officers getting out because they're tired of seeing their children age in photographs. Obviously, there's not a whole lot that can be done about this right now...
Compulsory service would be massively expensive, and doesn't fit America's need right now, in my opinion. There's just too high of a volume of males coming of age annually... I know you weren't actually serious, though.

[renrich]

I was actually serious for a minute or two but realise that compulsory national service is neither practical or practicable. The left's answer to every problem in society is more government, higher taxes and more government control of our lives. I am not welcome in that camp.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Originally Posted by mkloby

I think one of the biggest problem facing the military now is retention. We keep losing good NCOs and officers getting out because they're tired of seeing their children age in photographs. Obviously, there's not a whole lot that can be done about this right now...

And that is why I got out. After being deployed twice for 22 months in a 29 month time period and knowing that another 15 months of deployment would 9 to 12 months down the road again, I decided my family was more important to me.

Another reason was money as well. I can do the same job that I did in the Army on the Civilian side and make more money and not have to be away from my family for months on end.

[Canberra Man]

I can really lay claim to being in all three. When I left school in 1944, I started work as a Naval messenger on the Grimsby Naval Base, HMS Beaver, I was there for two years. Then came National Service in 1948, Royal Artillery Ack Ack. Being a glutton for punishment, I was in the Royal Air Force three months after leaving the army! I trained as electrical mechanic (air) and ended up on 617 Squadron servicing Lincolns and then, the Canberra. Hows that for service!!

Ken