The Pros and Cons of Mandatory Military service

Categories: Service

All over the world there are countries debating whether or not they should enforce a Mandatory Military Service for citizens who are at least 18 years old. This could affect the countries in two different ways. It could strengthen the country, or it could weaken it. The question is, which of the two is a more prominent outcome?

Pro Argument 1

A mandatory military service would mean that a country is prepared for the worst. If, say, a war did break out, it would mean that they would not have to spend as much time recruiting because they would already have trained soldiers there, allowing them to have a head start in the battle side of war.

It would also mean that they would never have a shortage of soldiers. There are often times in war, where voluntary sign up to the army has proven unreliable and that the patriotic surge at the beginnings often runs out within a year or so. "Conscription during peacetime would mean that the country was prepared for emergencies" ('Dabatepedia', dbp.idebate.org, 'Debate: Mandatory Military Service').

Get quality help now
WriterBelle
WriterBelle
checked Verified writer

Proficient in: Service

star star star star 4.7 (657)

“ Really polite, and a great writer! Task done as described and better, responded to all my questions promptly too! ”

avatar avatar avatar
+84 relevant experts are online
Hire writer

Having this constant replenishment of soldiers would definitely give the country an advantage.

Con Argument 1

An advantage in war is all well and good, but having to join the army against their will, even for a small amount of time, can cause bad attitudes towards authority in young people. This can cause them to be reluctant to learn new skills and to build on character, which are two things that are supposed to seen as perks to the service.

Get to Know The Price Estimate For Your Paper
Topic
Number of pages
Email Invalid email

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy. We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

"You must agree to out terms of services and privacy policy"
Write my paper

You won’t be charged yet!

The debatepedia website says: "If young people are forced to go into the armed forces .... it will foster resentment against authority".

Pro Argument 2

The perks of mandatory military service could definitely appeal to young people who are recent school leavers. There are many cases of people who leave school and are unsure of what to do from then on, but the military service provides a temporary place to go while still in this period of insecurity and can be seen as a sort of save haven for people in this situation. It would also lessen some of society's problems, such as teenage pregnancy and crime rates. "Would you like to see crime, teenage pregnancy and substance abuse rates decline? ... this is an argument for mandatory military service" (Armstrong Williams, "Mandatory Military Service Would Benefit the US", News Max. June 19th 2006).

Cons Argument 2

Although the Military can prove to be a place to go for those in need, it can be argued that forcing youth into service deprives them of their 'freedom of choice' (debate.org, "should military service be mandatory?"). This deprivation is, of course, a deprivation of a human right, making mandatory military service immoral.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Mandatory Military Service can both benefit a country and hinder it. The outcome of the system, good or bad, depends on how the individual country carries it out. For example, the general conscription could mean a respectful nation with low crime rates, or a rebellious nation, with bad thoughts on authority figures. Overall, Mandatory Military Service is neither good nor bad.

Meagan Ewing, 533 words

Bibliography

http://dbp.idebate.org/en/index.php/Debate:Mandatorymilitaryservice

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070524055150AAMMxYE

http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-military-service-be-mandatory

The Army

Army Worths Essay Honor, stability, selfness-service, responsibility, regard, personal nerve, and loyalty, these are the 7 army values in which each and every member need to stay real to. My definition of honor may be skewed from the publics view of honor. In my eyes, when you are appreciative that you are provided the opportunity to serve your nation, that is when you are respectable. Stability is what keeps this country going, each member of the military needs to have stability to be successful. Do the best thing no matter whose watching. If you serve for your nation, you have a sense of selfness-service. Understanding that what you are doing is assisting others, which last objective is more important than you yourself. Be prepared, be sharp, and fast, every soldier must know what to do and when to do it. It is your duty to react to a circumstance and to fix that extremely situation.

Coming from a family of marines, I have noticed the respect between my family members who have served. Regardless if your active duty infantry or a reserve mechanic, any true American will respect you. Personal courage is created from confidence. Rigorous and realistic training fills our soldiers with personal courage. This courage is what allows us to progress through a time of war. You will not find many citizens who possess the same level of loyalty as those in the Army. If you truly believe in what you are fighting for, that should be all the motivation in the world. An American Soldier would do anything for the man standing next to him. These seven Army values don’t just apply to those in the military, they are all assets which make up a great person.

Updated: Sep 29, 2022
Cite this page

The Pros and Cons of Mandatory Military service. (2016, Mar 09). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-mandatory-military-service-essay

The Pros and Cons of Mandatory Military service essay
Live chat  with support 24/7

👋 Hi! I’m your smart assistant Amy!

Don’t know where to start? Type your requirements and I’ll connect you to an academic expert within 3 minutes.

get help with your assignment