Compulsory Military Service.

[xelasnave]

I dont like the idea that the world spends so much on war but I think there could be a case for compulsory military service, say two years after you leave school and before uni or other education.

A sort of finishing school to build in life skills overlooked by parenting or schooling.

Teach them to make their beds, follow orders and perhaps be involved in aid programs.

Must be better than letting kids leave school fail to get work and generally give up...

Maybe ten years instead of two.

Alex

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Completely 100% against it, Military service should be strictly voluntary, encouraged sure but voluntary with no gender (or other) discrimination.

Mike

[el_draco (Rom)]

Funny you should say that Alex. My 20+ year old has been trying to join up for two years. He's 6 foot plus tall, built like Arnie and currently works as a guard in a Commonwealth facility. Highly intelligent, he wants to become a military paramedic... Alas, he doesn't have ovaries and therefore can't get a position because the ADF is preferentially recruiting females in this area... Ah... that's called SEXUAL DISCRIMINATION in my books.

So now he's considering the Royal marines because he can claim UK citizenship through me. This countries loss!

[julianh72 (Julian)]

Originally Posted by el_draco

So now he's considering the Royal marines because he can claim UK citizenship through me.

Too bad he's ineligible to run for parliament then?

(But perhaps he can still aspire to be our Head of State?)

[casstony]

Only the rich and powerful should be allowed to fight in wars. We'd have a lot less wars.

[dimithri86 (Dimithri)]

Or the two leaders walk to the middle of the battle field and fight to the death, the losing side goes home in shame. No reason young men should die for wars started by old men

[Slawomir (Suavi)]

Originally Posted by xelasnave

Teach them to make their beds, follow orders and perhaps be involved in aid programs.

Sounds like what parents should be doing at home

Unfortunately, IMO these days parents too often not only totally spoil their kids at home, but even worse some parents frequently interfere way too much with what happens at school thus further hindering their children proper growth and development.

The problem is inadequate parenting which reflects some serious issues developing in our society. Giving guns to young people will not solve them.

[AussieTrooper (Ben)]

As much as I would LOVE to tear shreds off every social justice warrior, entitled hipster and gobby leb that had the misfortune to set foot near me, the army's job is to defend the country, not solve problems that trendy, lazy, over tolerant parenting has created.
I am totally against any form of national service.

[FlashDrive (Poppy)]

I say ' yes ' ... it didn't hurt me .... I joined at 17years ( straight from high school)

Was taught to be disciplined in all facets of living .... being tidy / being responsible / learning to do as your told by your superiors / washing your own clothes / ironing your Uniform / spit polish your boots / how to handle a weapon ( SLR Rifle ) .... and general respect for all others.

In fact it made me a much better person and I felt better about myself.

And I was paid ' adult wages ' to do it ..... RAAF.

I do not advocate sending young men to War ..... this is purely for Leadership Training / Respect for others / Life Skills and for good self esteem.

2 years is long enough I'd say .....and when their time is done .... back into ' civilian life ' with a sense of contributing to themselves and a desire to enter the work force.

By the Way .... I chose to enter the Military for a career path .... I stayed and I came away with a recognized trade .

I saw the ' benefits ' of this service for me and stayed there ..... but those who want to re enter ' civilian ' life after 2 years can do so,hopefully with a sense of self respect and a sense of achievement.

Isn't that what young people want ( the fair dink'em ones anyway ) .... to have a sense of ' belonging ' in Society and opportunities for their future.

This is about giving them the ' tools ' to go on in life and to help them overcome difficulties they encounter.

Col....

[xelasnave]

Say we make the salary $2000 a week and enlistment voluntary.

Alex

[FlashDrive (Poppy)]

Originally Posted by xelasnave

Say we make the salary $2000 a week and enlistment voluntary.

Alex

I'd say there would be a line up waiting to sign the ' dotted line ' for 100K a year.

Col.....

[Wavytone]

As one who has worked with the military for many years I'm all for it and I think it is much overlooked and/or feared by people who frankly are ignorant of what it has to offer. I also have immense respect for what they have achieved.

All of those I've known loved the experience and benefitted immensely from it, and it also gave them an excellent career path in civilian life afterwards - they are much sought after.

[astroron (Ron)]

Hey but they can also get shot,blown up,disfigured mentally effected etc,for the paltry wages that they get.
Just cannon fodder for politicians.
I served 9 years in the British military before someone jumps down my throat
The defense forces are not the countries mother and father.
Discipline and growing up are societies problem.
Cheers

[Saturnine (Jeff)]

For those of us that were of the era when you could be called up for National Service with your birth date pulled out of an lottery barrel and sent to fight in Vietnam, it was a most traumatic time and those sorts of circumstances should never be inflicted on younger generations. If you want to serve you can enlist and I would commend you for wanting to serve your country as many , many fine people have done over the years.
Lets not confuse national service with actually being sent to fight in wars though.

[xelasnave]

Yes I was in the birthday lottery.
Not good.
Alex

[Saturnine (Jeff)]

Using some sort of national service as an excuse for easing unemployment or curing the supposed lack of discipline among the current 18 - 25 generation is a cop out. Let them enjoy being young and "free" without some of our older jaundiced judgements as to how they are supposed to behave. As long as their behaviour doesn't offend or cause damage or inconvenience or is illegal, let them have some fun.
As for direction and discipline from their parents, because of the wonders of our economy and the lack of employment opportunities, parents are overworked in a lot of cases to make ends meet and don't have time to tend to all their childrens needs and the kids can have a lot of idle time to fill.
As parents ,we know that teaching life skills and keeping our kids on a reasonably straight path through their formative years is as much a learning curve for us as it is for them.

[raymo]

That's just it, respect where it is due, seems to have largely disappeared,
and a lot of the behaviour that I see, both male and female, does offend me.
I'm with Flashdrive [Col] 100%.
raymo

[Slawomir (Suavi)]

It would be interesting to hear what the actual subjects - 18-25 y.o. think about being forced to do a military service for two years. In the end it is about them, isn't it?

[Larryp (Laurie)]

Originally Posted by xelasnave

Yes I was in the birthday lottery.
Not good.
Alex

The birthday lottery was a bad joke if you were a medicine or dentistry student at the time.
In the ballot for the first 6 months of the year, they called up every eligible dentistry student and pretty much the same with medicine-they got their doctors and dentists without having to provide scholarships for them.
After many complaints, they toned it down for the second ballot.

[dimithri86 (Dimithri)]

National service would be a great idea, if the only time you could be called to fight would be on our soil to defend the country. Barring that scenario, keep the national service well trained, and put them to good use, building schools, water systems etc in places that need it.