How does everyone feel about mandatory military service in America?

All should serve who are qualified.

@SSG Steve Magnus SSG Steven Mangus, When going into the fray, I take a platoon of volunteer over a regiment of conscripts... period.

It is good in theory but our country is too large for it to be put in practice. So very brief research puts the average amount of US citizens turning 18 each year around 4 million. So if only 25 percent out of that is qualified to serve (ie medically, criminally, ASVAB scores, ect) that puts 1 million new members in the armed forces each year. The logistics cost and support needed to train and maintain a standing military of that size would just be to large to put in practice.

I would say that it is a valid solution to a problem that does not exist (at least for now). When I asked my father in law (a Vietnam era Army Colonel) the same question, he was of two minds. Some of the smartest and most capable soldiers he had were draftee's but that was countered by his worst discipline problems coming from draftees. The discipline problems along with a surprising number of soldiers at the time who could not read was enough to sour him on the draft. From my experience in the Air Force Safety world, I think it would be a mistake to bring back the draft. Day to day tasking's are more complicated and when someone doesn't want to be there doing his job and doing it well, that person is likely to get himself or others hurt/killed.

Having worked with the "volunteers" who only volunteered to avoid being drafted to a branch they did not want, I would say only if the need is not met by volunteers. Making people do what they have no desire to do sometimes does not work.

Absolutely not. While I do think it would create an increased level of awareness among the citizens of our country, I think it would have detrimental effects on the military. You cannot make somebody do something if they legitimately do not want to be there.

We had serious problems with troops that didn't want to be there in Viet Nam.

http://home.mweb.co.za/re/redcap/vietcrim.htm

I believe mandatory national service for all persons over age of 18 who have completed their secondary education is a good idea. It builds into the young person's life a period, perhaps 2 to 4 years, where they experience real work under close supervision for the good of their country. Military service is very good in this respect; however, it isn't for everybody, so national service in the Peace Corps or some rebirth of AmeriCorps would be great. Each person serving gets some "skin in the game", learns the value of honest work, may acquire a salable skill, and has time to mature before entering the civilian workforce or starting post-secondary education. Adding more "civilian" work situations to the program would allow those not suited for military service to still contribute to the nation.

The military could absorb the influx of new young people if they changed their dependence on contractors. Extra manpower could be used to take over Service Support jobs, such as plumbing and electrical work, landscaping, or working in dining facilities. These were once military jobs and could be again.

I think there would be a renewed appreciation for the military if they had a mandatory two year enlistment. No loopholes, no get out of enlistment cards for anyone. The Israelis have a mandatory two year enlistment for all men and women. I think its a good idea. In fact with 3 square meals a day and a place to live maybe it would be another trade idea for student loans. Serve two years and your two year degree loans forgiven. Four Year degree and your four year education loans are forgiven. It might get these millennials out of their mom and dad's basement apartment?

I'm in favor of mandatory service of some type, not necessarily limited to military, for everyone. Posted on this somewhere else, but there are many different government programs that use volunteers, https://www.usa.gov/volunteer that could be expanded into paid mandatory service positions.