While serving in America’s armed forces is an honor, the United States should not require two years of military service. Requiring two years of military service goes against our freedom as Americans, not every person is cutout for the military life, and there are plenty of volunteers.
Making American citizens participate in military service goes against the freedom American citizens are guaranteed by our constitution. American citizens have the freedom in this country to do what they want, whether that includes joining the military or not. The draft was taken away in this country for a reason. During the Vietnam War American citizens made it blatantly obvious that it should be the citizen’s choice. If the military service is required it would “allow the government to demand your very life without your consent. This should be unthinkable in a free society” (Finelli). Required military service would take away the freedom American citizens hold so dear. Because mandatory military service would violate American freedoms, American citizens should not be made to participate in the armed forces.
While a draft may seem like a great idea, it is unnecessary; there are tens of thousands of people enlisting in the military all on their own. America’s military is already the largest in the world, so making it mandatory to join for two years would just make the military too large. This would take even more money to pay all of those employees, and even more resources would go directly to the armed forces. Being in the armed forces is an extraordinary honor, and if the United States makes it mandatory to fight it would not be as big of an honor. The men and women who are brave enough and strong enough to be in the armed forces are heroes. If everyone was in the military it wouldn’t be anything special. Because we have plenty of volunteers who are seen as extraordinary people, we should not make it mandatory to serve in the military for two years.
Today America’s all volunteer military is one of the strongest militaries in the world, but if we make service a requirement we will weaken our armed forces. Everyone in American’s armed forces wants to be there, and they try their hardest to make the military strong and efficient. Pentagon data that was recently released showed that “75 percent of those aged 17 to 24 don't qualify for the military because they are physically unfit, have a criminal record or didn't graduate high school” (Armario). This 75 percent is out of people who voluntarily want to go into the military. That number would grow exponentially if people were forced into being in the military. Even if you just put that 75 percent into service the strength of America’s military goes down astronomically. Having bulk in America’s military does not mean that that the military would be stronger; it would make it weaker. Because not everyone is cutout for military service, America should not make it a requirement to participate in the military.
Armario, Christine, and Dorie Turner. "23 Percent Can't Pass Military Exam." Miami Herald. 21 Dec 2010: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 21 May 2013.
Finelli, Mark, and Ron Paul. "Should the U.S. Reinstate the Draft?." New York Times Upfront (Vol. 142, No. 9). 08 Feb 2010: 22. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 21 May 2013
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