Interesting thought - my take on this is a little different and disregards the diversity argument: I have been pondering whether one of the reasons we’ve declined as a nation is that EVERYBODY isn’t required to serve when they reach adulthood - no deferrals, no exemptions except for physical or mental inability. It seems to me that when, in McChrystal’s words (though not with his agenda), people have “skin in the game”, they tend to think harder about whether to go to war.
Comments?
Colonel, USAFR
I agree with your sentiment, and am a Navy veteran.
The draftees could fit in a forces category of serving only two years. They would be specifically trained to hold combat positions, on land, on the seas, or in the air.
This would eliminate expensive, long term training in technical schools unless the draftees option to volunteer and sign up for an additional 6-years of active duty.
Further, universal service would either require the expansion of the military far beyond the size necessary to do it's mission, or a dramatic shortening of enlistments. The latter would be terrible in terms of troops quality, training, etc..
And finally, I don't think the state has the right to take a couple year of your life absent a true national emergency. The idea that we all inherently owe something to the government is very distateful to me.
I served in the Marine Corps, and am extremely happy that the Marines I commanded were all volunteers.
Skin?
The people don’t decide if to go to war, power brokers and politicians do. We don’t have elected reprentatives, we elected authorities that are controlled strictly by those with money and power. Don’t believe that? Then watch 25,000 of your fellow citizens write your congresscritter and ask for something...then watch a power broker hand him a $25,000 bribe, I mean, ‘campaign contribution’, at lunch to ignore your demands.
I see it not as war is discussed carefully because everyone has skin in the game during a draft but that if we are an all volunteer force then no one has to enlist when the power brokers demand it. That is the real throttle to war.