Umm, Stevedave, South Korea is the tenth largest economy in the world. The US has had a permanent military presence in South Korea for over 60 years and it's still there. We hold joint Military Exercises in South Korea every year at a cost that would cover the GDP of some small countries. And there is no question whatever that if the North Koreans go crazy and jump over the DMZ that the US is going to jump knee deep in that ass.
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Video Game Addicts May Be Exempt From Military Service
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next-Jin
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The United States should never again have a draft or voluntold military service unless a foreign power invaded. I don't want little johnny shit bag in my formations who doesn't want to be there.
We shouldn't have any type of thing like that, not in the military or any other civil/development service.
We shouldn't have any type of thing like that, not in the military or any other civil/development service.
TwistedAegis
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Wouldn't be combat troops, I would say that is a different track. If after the 1-year compulsory they wanted to stick around, then they can go through full combat training.
I think you are missing the point. Unless you want to authorize this program parallel to, but not withing the Active Duty military, then there is no room for it. Like I said, we need professionals and that training takes a lot of time.
Everyone knows or has heard about Basic Training, marching, shooting, physical fitness, etc. And most know about the Advanced Training where they learn their Jobs, Cooks, Military Police, Infantry, Mechanics, the list is exhaustive. But not many people realize that the training is far from over, the soldiers still have to go to their first duty assignments and learn Team/Crew skills, and Unit Collective Tasks. As an example, Soldiers sent to Korea for a one year tour spend the entire year going through a single iteration of the Training Cycle. In other words, they haven't done it all until they are just about ready to leave and go somewhere else. What compounds the issue is that Army Soldiers frequently have to also train and learn how to work with the other services like the Air Force, and with other Countries' Militaries.
There really isn't a place at the table for a bunch of part time help. that being said, actual Military Service could be considered as counting toward the requirement and there are many ways people could do better things then training for war.
I was a Soldier, of course I am proud of my service. But it would do people in this country good to find other things to be proud other then military service. We need to find a way to make the more important things, more important. Family, Kids, Old Folks, our communities.
Face it, we are not the best at being good to each other even when we still have some real good examples around us to follow.
I remember a Street Cop in New York I think, gave some new boots to some homeless dude. Doesn't matter what the homeless dude actually did with those boots, it takes nothing away from that selfless act.
I remember a Street Cop in New York I think, gave some new boots to some homeless dude. Doesn't matter what the homeless dude actually did with those boots, it takes nothing away from that selfless act.
The US DoD should apply the same rules. While not an epidemic we have problems at almost every base that erupts from some damn game addict.
Did an inspection on a guy who had trash piled to his ceiling, smelled so bad in that room. The only thing this guy did was play WoW. He was pretty terrible at his job as well, spent most of his days looking up WoW stuff (websites that weren't blocked). The problem is these types don't want help, they joined the military to get enough money to keep an internet connection and buy food. Had another guy on deployment demand he be sent home after he found out he couldn't play (*INSERT MMO*) and eventually claimed to be suicidal.
Had an E4 recently get busted pretty bad for child neglect, management didn't even know he had a kid! I mean serious, WTF YOU GET PAID MORE FOR THAT!!
Takes for ever to get these guys kicked out, I've probably been around 5 severe cases and all 5 declined treatment (which extends your military enlistment) but would prevent them from playing.
Did an inspection on a guy who had trash piled to his ceiling, smelled so bad in that room. The only thing this guy did was play WoW. He was pretty terrible at his job as well, spent most of his days looking up WoW stuff (websites that weren't blocked). The problem is these types don't want help, they joined the military to get enough money to keep an internet connection and buy food. Had another guy on deployment demand he be sent home after he found out he couldn't play (*INSERT MMO*) and eventually claimed to be suicidal.
Had an E4 recently get busted pretty bad for child neglect, management didn't even know he had a kid! I mean serious, WTF YOU GET PAID MORE FOR THAT!!
Takes for ever to get these guys kicked out, I've probably been around 5 severe cases and all 5 declined treatment (which extends your military enlistment) but would prevent them from playing.
The US has a permanent military presence in most places that generate income. But without having Oil, Cheap labor, or something else we can exploit its questionable. But our love of spending money on the military would likely drive us into war at most opportunities.
No better recruitment tool though than to expose the entire male population to military service, and it doesn't have to be expensive as there is no need for specialized training in tanks or aircraft or anything like that. Also, just like any team sport, it can teach people to work together to accomplish a mission so the next time there are floods or something you don't just have a bunch of "help me gubment" retards holding their hands out and acting helpless, and instead working together to organize getting people to shelters and putting up sandbags and actually moving their ass. And just overall I believe it would help instill a culture of nationalism and service, rather than the current "victim culture" where everyone is looking for a handout about what THEY are owed and no one wants to call themselves American anymore... its always "XYZ-American", with some prefix first and foremost to identify with.
Plus, it would really do some good to expose the liberal brainwashed kids to firearms and what not so they can grasp the concept of national defense, and demonstrate that firearms are just tools/power, and its the person wielding it that matters. Some people due to ignorance are just absolutely terrified at the entire concept, as they have been taught forever that guns kill people so in their minds guns are these evil dark wolves lurking in the night ready to pounce on you.
Having some very simple survival training and outdoor exposure to build tents and a fire and what not is something a lot of city kids that just get dropped off at school, eat hohos, and then go play xbox until bedtime have never experienced before. There's the question of opportunity cost, but IMO this would also provide a much smoother transition into college, as it reduces the shock of total dependence in their parents homes to the total independence of living on their own and having to have the self-discipline not to party and screw off with no supervision. This is kind of a middle ground, you're away from mommy/daddy but still have structure and discipline... some things which actually may have even been missing in the kids lives if mom doesn't work and just collects a government paycheck and dad bailed long ago, or they've just been so pampered and sheltered and suffer from "affluenza".
If your goal is to reduce the number of people relying on the government for sustenance, then hiring millions of young adults into mandatory military service who would literally be receiving checks from the government, is a terrible plan.
Why do you care if people want to identify themselves with multiple words? That's their prerogative.
I think if you actually sit down and think about what you said, you'll realize how shortsighted that is. Don't hide behind false logic, and just speak your mind about what you really have against this.
Why put a question mark on that statement? I already said why. Unity of the American people as American people, not X group, Y group, Z group identity first and foremost. You may not appreciate it, but don't pretend not to understand it.
D
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Did you really just compare Russia to the rest of Europe?
While some of them may be building up their armies, no one is even close to the US. I don't care if the US wants to play global peacekeeper, that's fine by me, but don't try to come and force your ideas on other countries. Not every country cares as much about military as the US does and they are doing fine.
For many people military service would be a waste of time because it doesn't help them. If you are the smartest kid in your school, how does 1+ year(s) of military service help you? I guess going to college, getting a degree and making more money right out of college than most is being a "pussy".
This is true. One of the companies i worked for had Korean employees and one of the actually got deported because he didn't go through military service. Being able to reach into another country to drag home one guy, that's pretty crazy serious.
Jaiweb, I know you won't reply, but please explain to the class how patriotism vs nationalism from your quote has anything to do with whether a country should have a short mandatory military training for its citizens, or how a unified spirit of the people to serve their country as was promoted relates to your quote?
*crickets chirping*
BTW, that is such a tired debate anyway, since the definitions of patriotism and nationalism are so extremely vague and interchangeable that you can ascribe whatever values you want to them, not that it has anything to do with this debate, and you can call it patriotic rather than nationalistic if you prefer. The only purpose of the distinction is for people to argue over degrees of loyalty/service to their country, and I don't think a mere 9 months or so of service counts as extreme.
Quotes are fun though...
He loves his country best who strives to make it best. ~Robert G. Ingersoll
Patriotism is voluntary. It is a feeling of loyalty and allegiance that is the result of knowledge and belief. A patriot shows their their patriotism through their actions, by their choice. ~Jesse Ventura
A private man, however successful in his own dealing, if his country perish is involved in her destruction; but if he be an unprosperous citizen of a prosperous city, he is much more likely to recover. Seeing, then, that States can bear the misfortunes of individuals, but individuals cannot bear the misfortunes of States, let us all stand by our country. ~Thucydides
It is sweet to serve one's country by deeds, and it is not absurd to serve her by words. ~Sallust
Patriotism... is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime. ~Adlai Stevenson
I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him. ~ Abraham Lincoln
And here's one that will confuse the lefties:
*crickets chirping*
BTW, that is such a tired debate anyway, since the definitions of patriotism and nationalism are so extremely vague and interchangeable that you can ascribe whatever values you want to them, not that it has anything to do with this debate, and you can call it patriotic rather than nationalistic if you prefer. The only purpose of the distinction is for people to argue over degrees of loyalty/service to their country, and I don't think a mere 9 months or so of service counts as extreme.
Quotes are fun though...
He loves his country best who strives to make it best. ~Robert G. Ingersoll
Patriotism is voluntary. It is a feeling of loyalty and allegiance that is the result of knowledge and belief. A patriot shows their their patriotism through their actions, by their choice. ~Jesse Ventura
A private man, however successful in his own dealing, if his country perish is involved in her destruction; but if he be an unprosperous citizen of a prosperous city, he is much more likely to recover. Seeing, then, that States can bear the misfortunes of individuals, but individuals cannot bear the misfortunes of States, let us all stand by our country. ~Thucydides
It is sweet to serve one's country by deeds, and it is not absurd to serve her by words. ~Sallust
Patriotism... is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime. ~Adlai Stevenson
I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him. ~ Abraham Lincoln
And here's one that will confuse the lefties:
Barrack Obama said:
next-Jin
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Generate income for who? Germany, UK, Italy, Japan and SK get way more out of our current arrangement than we do. All of those countries could also easily defend themselves if they needed too other than Japan.
If by military presence you mean Iraq, Afghanistan, and other countries we have operational forces in then I have yet to see any meaningful results from those conflicts. (Oil, cheap labor, or something else we can exploit).
You make as much sense as what you claim to know I'll do. Yet you ignorantly say it so confidently as if you have example after example to prove it when all you're really holding is your own delusion in your mind.Simple, because we need to teach the youth to be better than someone that just follows orders. We need more thinkers, not more soldiers. The world needs less reason for violence, not more. Yet you'd be the guy that's absolutely shocked on how having made a bigger military mindset brought upon more reasons for more wars when anyone with common sense knows humans need less reasons to be violent. What would the rest of the world really think if the US (with all of our current strategic advantages) started putting its entire youth population through military training, of any kind !?! Don't answer as I already know you wouldn't come to the proper conclusion. They'd think we're preparing for another world war. Other countries would start getting even more paranoid. That way of thinking is the last thing this planet needs. However you keep thinking the old way and let the grown ups think up new ways.
I take it you're used to hearing this when giving your opinions here...
You will, others don't. You at least know now that Einstein knew the difference.
I can't, you can. It fits in your head better that way. After all you just admitted you can't distinguish between the two.
I have no loyalties to any flag, to any man-made borders, or any other status quo shit. I want less flags and less borders and less wars and less violence no matter what it's disguised as. You want to do it, fine, jump in, bring the whole family, too. Just know the country will never function the way you wish it would and I'm fucking glad because you sound stupid just saying it. One week is too much to put the entire youth population through let alone nine months to two years.
Isn't it great that we can make the world a better place without the need for addtional military.
You do know this guy has stated he is now embarrassed by the US government and military actions and yet you're so unobservant using him to make your point. He has videos out calling 9/11 an inside job, for one. And last I heard from him he was living in Mexico most of the time as the US is corrupted beyond belief, in his opinion. I'm sure he'd love to hear your thoughts on mandatory military enlistment of the youth...lol.
Where did this guy say to make the youth all militarized? Did I miss it?
I think Abraham knew all too well the difference between patriotism and nationalism which is weird as you don't, and you quoted him. Hint: Good men fight when it's necessary, not fight just because they've been trained to do so and are ready for it. We should be teaching the youth to be more peaceful, not more ready for war. Good thing your way of thinking is irrelevant in the real world as it's backwards thinking at best.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FMNFvKEy4c
Nationalism is power hunger tempered by self-deception. - George Orwell
The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, but he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them. - George Orwell
dgz
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As if serving in the military has any real purpose. I did my best to avoid my service. Let's just say those military people's happy faces disappeared on the spot when I presented my case and showed them my papers. They were shining before that. Probably imagining all the cool stuff they're going to put me though in there
Not every country in the world is an evil empire or raped by one. Most don't really need non-professional personnel.
I'd take that ribbon and throw in the thrash can in front of them.
There's not national cohesion because a constant media message that says that's fundamentally wrong and no open eyes exposure to that feature in other countries.We need that in the USA especially. In much more homogeneous countries (ethnically, economically, historically) there is already a shared background. I think a lot of our issues is that the US is so diverse that it's very easy to demonize one another (see: obamaphone, welfare queen, teabaggers, etc). A compulsory 1-year military service after high school would do a lot to put people from different walks of life together, as well as give the US a shared cultural experience that everyone can relate to.
And, since we have all the drones, the video game addicts would be welcome, too.
Case in point, didn't realize when I made the post above how quickly people would go apeshit in the rest of the thread. Of course taking the a bunch of out of context examples of the result of 30's German national socialist movement and equating that to all form of nationalism (essentially falsely equated to their supremacist movement) to broadbrush all forms of nationalism is usually in the repertoire. Nevermind nationalism is standard operating procedure everywhere else on the planet outside the US.
Every civilized nation could simply things by requiring service until 25 in the government or military, thus having a trained disciplined group of individuals dropped into the work force capable of supporting themselves and let the kids do the other stuff from 14-18. So instead of people burdened by decades of student debt they would be coming from seven years of work history and have have money in the bank to support them until they got a job. It would also eliminate a lot of issues caused by kids not growing up after graduating high school. It will never happen it makes too much sense...
cptnjarhead
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Two things though, read up on "Milton Friedman" and "Henry Kissinger", tons of knowledge on world economies and affairs. You might see things a little differently.
Exactly, or that brief mandatory training/service for our youth as a transition between childhood and adulthood equates to a ziel for military conquest... kind of like Switzerland, that has mandatory service as well.
I mean, if anyone was going to start World War 3, it would definitely be those bloodthirsty Swiss with their compulsory service requirements.
One last thing to add though for the anti-government types out there, having a militia is empowering to the people, as it means that every able bodied man in the country has some basic military training. A strong militia supplemented by a small but highly skilled professional army would be far more cost effective, and empowering to the people if there ever came the time that the government became oppressive and no longer represented the will of the people. Hell Thomas Jefferson said it himself:
cptnjarhead
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The problem is, people believe the socialistic propagandized hollywood movies instead of actually looking into history let alone reading up on the founding fathers.
Not being forced into mandatory military service is even more empowering. It's called freedom. This isn't soviet russia.
cptnjarhead
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Where do you think this "freedom" came from?
Freedom of self-determination is *inalienable*. Whether or not it came from mandatory military service is irrelevant. The whole premise of inalienable rights is that they cannot be taken away.
cptnjarhead
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Nor can they be given, however they cannot be upheld or protected without a strong government/military. Your idea of freedom is great as long as you do not have to serve to keep it?
Let's run this through the common fucking sense test.
I joined in 1981, I retired in 1998, 16 years of service. In 16 years I was never deployed to a war zone or saw a real conflict, no shots in anger, nothing. Doesn't mean nothing happened, there was four notable conflicts worth mentioning.
Operation Urgent Fury was a 1983 United Statesled invasion of Grenada, about 53 days long.
The Invasion of Panama, code-named Operation Just Cause, was the invasion of Panama in December 1989, About 41 days long.
This is a big one, The Gulf War (2 August 1990 28 February 1991), codenamed Operation Desert Shield (2 August 1990 - 17 January 1991), for operations leading to the buildup of troops and defense of Saudi Arabia and Operation Desert Storm (17 January 1991 28 February 1991) was a war waged by coalition forces from 34 nations led by the United States against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait. 100 days of bombing followed by about 44 days of ground fighting and the US was certainly not alone in this one.
And Somalia, Operation Gothic Serpent was a military operation conducted by United States special operations forces with the primary mission of capturing warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. The operation occurred in Somalia from August to October 1993, about 50 days.
Last of Course was the War in Bosnia, this one wasn't so neat and easy to define but the US was there are part of a UN Force and wasn't operating on it's own authority. Anyway, this one was a little less then 3 years of conflict and it was a lot of quiet interrupted with occasional serious violence.
So I see the money in Kuwait, the oil, and the Panama Canal, it's an important location for sea borne commerce. But i fail to see the big money in Granada, Somalia, and the former Yugoslavian State.
Now you might want to continue on with the second Gulf War and Afghanistan but I wasn't in during that time. I guess what I am trying to say is we get involved in conflicts for many reasons and they are not all about money. Conflicts happen, sometimes the US get's into them sometimes we don't. But it's not correct or fair to say we only go where the money is cause that's bullshit.
wabbitseason
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Yup. They're using the standard "you're a Nazi" argument to attack anyone who thinks pride in your nation, its unique heritage, and its unique belief system is a good thing.
It's a global world now, like, man. Diversity and multiculturalism and peace, man, ya know?
Peace exists between mankind only by the threat of war. That is a fact. Maybe if there's a common alien enemy we'll band together in mutual self interest. Until then, nations are not going anywhere.
Someone said Europe was all flowers and sugar, I simply pointed out the fallacy. Europe is in a war right now thou it's all low key and shit. Russia is taking the Ukraine, they are going to continue trying to regain what they think they have lost. The rest of Europe is arming up and I think they will all be back at each others throats soon enough. It's in the history books mate.
You know, it doesn't take long to poke around and check numbers and see that the combined military force of all the countries in and around Europe exceed the size of the US Military, hell Russia counts for half all by itself and England is another quarter. Many of these countries are just as modernized as the US so we have no great technological superiority over many of them. Wars in Europe frequently grow into gang wars where nations throughout the continent start picking sides so all those smaller armies are going to add up quickly. But let's not limit our perspective to just Europe because the US Military has world wide involvement and commitments. If North Korea's 1 Million strong Active Duty Military isn't doing it for you then maybe China's almost 2.3 Million will. Hell, South Korea's military will be larger then the US Army when the cuts are done in the next couple of years in this draw-down. The US Army is going to be cut to under 500,000 and they are accelerating the cuts faster then what was required because they want to get the pain over with and get the force settled down.
cptnjarhead
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I would add, where is this cheap oil and labor for these conflicts?
"War for Oil" yet no one ever talks about china being the biggest player in Iraqi oil.
Stability in a global market is more than just money. When nations economies are tied together, those nations need to get involved. Sure we have put our noses in affairs that we should have stayed out of, but mostly we are sending food, money, troops and any other type of support around the world.
I can't tell if you are trying to make a joke here or what Ducman69. Are you really saying that Military service creates warmongers or are you saying that because Switzerland never seems to get into a scrap and they have a military that there is no correlation between service and a desire to fight?
My Dad was a draftee, they grabbed him in 1959 right after he had just got married, sent him to Fort Hood to train and then off to Germany. He didn't want to leave his new bride so he took her with him. The Army didn't pay him extra to bring his wife along, there were no Government furnished living quarters and a soldier then didn't get paid much anyway. They lived on the economy outside the base in a small apartment and it took every dime just to squeeze by. When his second year was up the Army offered him a promotion to sergeant if he would reenlist and he turned that down. All he wanted to do was get back home and start working, he had a kid now, I was born in a small German hospital just outside of Nurnberg. My father had a family to take care of and he wanted better for them then what the Army was going to pay. He told them "You could make me General and I wouldn't stay", or something to the point as I recall.
Someone else claimed that brief military training for our youth after highschool would foster a warmongering culture, which is nonsense, and the ultra-peaceful Swiss are an example of why that falls under the "retard logic" since it doesn't stand the most basic BS smell test.
lcpiper, no other country has the blue water and power projection capability of the United States, and very powerful nations are afraid to engage each other directly, especially if they are both superpowers. Proxy war fighting is where its at, but that involves power projection, and we're good at that. That said, I'm fine with a small military as long as you have militias back home that have already undergone basic training in an emergency.
Its also useful to have these militias available in times of peace, as they can be first responders to keep the peace and render aide in cases of natural disaster both here and abroad. They can be organized and overseen by the small professional standing army that can handle complex logistics and maintenance/operation of the expensive equipment that requires a special skillset.
kbrickley
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Ironically that is how it was dealt with in the excellent but underrated "The Lathe of Heaven" by Ursula K Le Guin ... the main character had the ability to engage in "effective dreaming" where what he dreamed became the reality for the world after he awoke ... his psychiatrist keeps trying manipulate the world to solve problems through his dreams and they keep turning out badly ... solving the population crisis results in a plague that wipes out 3/4 of the world population ... creating world peace puts aliens on the moon that we can unite against ... solving racism turns everybody gray ... an interesting book
Let me introduce you to the almost completely unknown "Force Pool"
The Force Pool is made up of all those ex-Military members who have finished their service and could, if needed, be brought back to active service. It's made up of a great number of people as you can imagine. It has only rarely been tapped, but it has.
The best example of the use of the Force Pool is when the Navy recommissioned the old IOWA Class Battleships. What the Navy discovered is that no one currently on active duty with the Navy knew how to operate the darn things. Then they discovered that manuals on how to operate them were pretty much non-existent. Then they discovered an entirely new problem, the software engineers and systems guys who were going to modernize the warship's fire control systems and bring them up to modern digital standards, couldn't hit anything with the guns. They no longer had anyone in the service, or could they find an engineer who understood everything that comes into play when you fire a 16" gun with the intent of hitting something while on a ship that is moving at over 28 Nautical miles an hour.
They decided they would have to go see if any of those old sailors who had actually manned these ships were still alive and they found some. Actually they found a lot of them. The Navy was going to recall these men to Active Duty for the purpose of assisting the engineers with redesigning the fire control systems and to help train new sailors on other ships systems like propulsion and steering, damage control, etc.
Somewhere in this process of dragging these guys back, the Navy figured out something. These old coots wanted to come back. They were important again, they were needed and not just remembered. They volunteered to return to full active naval service not just to help get the ship running and the systems modernized, but to actually be part of the crew when the ship was recommissioned afterwards.
Now there is no legal process for bringing a man who has already served back to active duty when he is this old except the same little known laws regarding the Force Pool so that is what they did. In an emergency the Military and bring back anyone who has ever served no matter how old they are, there are no restrictions, there is no legal way to refuse. These sailors where happy to come back but that hasn't always been the case.
How many remember the doctors who were pulled back to active duty during the Gulf Wars? Officers who have left service have always been subject to recall until age 60, Selective Service has been modified and legislation passed to allow the Military to "Draft people who possess special skills that are in need".
So, the Military with a more technically skilled force doesn't need to take on the burden of training nublets, they can pull in trained and experience old guys much easier.
TwistedAegis
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I believe our all-voluntary force actually makes war mongering easier. It isolates the pain and suffering to a very small section of society that can easily be ignored by the rest.
Mandatory military service would perhaps make a more educated voter base who knows what it feels like to, at least, look down the barrel of a gun and fire it; perhaps imagining someone on the other end.
Mandatory military service could mix rich and poor, black and white, and create more of a shared sense of "America". A lot of research has been done that it is easier for homogeneous societies to be more generous with one another, because it's easier to trust someone who looks the same as you and comes from the same background. Here in America, there are a million different ethnicity and backgrounds, and it's incredibly easy to cast one side as a leech, a mooch, a monster, someone sub-human or non-deserving of care.
That's why I advocate for some dumbed-down version of military service. Lcpiper, I know you keep telling me how it is today but it doesn't need to stay that way. Put them through basic and firearms training, and send them to dig ditches or do basic infrastructure work. It's less the military training, and more the mingling with other Americans and some basic self-assurance that this will bring.
Mandatory military service would perhaps make a more educated voter base who knows what it feels like to, at least, look down the barrel of a gun and fire it; perhaps imagining someone on the other end.
Mandatory military service could mix rich and poor, black and white, and create more of a shared sense of "America". A lot of research has been done that it is easier for homogeneous societies to be more generous with one another, because it's easier to trust someone who looks the same as you and comes from the same background. Here in America, there are a million different ethnicity and backgrounds, and it's incredibly easy to cast one side as a leech, a mooch, a monster, someone sub-human or non-deserving of care.
That's why I advocate for some dumbed-down version of military service. Lcpiper, I know you keep telling me how it is today but it doesn't need to stay that way. Put them through basic and firearms training, and send them to dig ditches or do basic infrastructure work. It's less the military training, and more the mingling with other Americans and some basic self-assurance that this will bring.
There is no alternative to the all-volunteer force that is remotely palatable to the American Public.
Straight up conscription is out, it takes years to properly train a soldier to the level of professional our Military requires. It's the Achilles' Heel of the high tech high quality approach.
Here is probably the best source for demographics.
http://www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/docs/demographics/FY11_ARMY_PROFILE.pdf
Center Bottom is a good graph.
Straight up conscription is out, it takes years to properly train a soldier to the level of professional our Military requires. It's the Achilles' Heel of the high tech high quality approach.
Here is probably the best source for demographics.
http://www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/docs/demographics/FY11_ARMY_PROFILE.pdf
Center Bottom is a good graph.