Should every soldier be required to deploy?

A few thoughts:
- No. Every Soldier should not be required to deploy.
- Every Soldier should willing, prepared, and able to deploy.
- Soldiers deploy to execute and complete missions in support of national security objectives and requirements. They/we do not deploy just for the purpose of deploying. Making it a requirement for every Soldier to deploy puts the cart in front of the horse. Let's keep our eye on the ball here.

Every politician should deploy.

As a Viet Nam era vet (the war was all but over by the time of my commissioning), I thought of myself as always "being the bridesmaid, but never the bride" when it came to deployments. After deploying many other soldiers and units to various hot spots over the years, I was determined to also have a chance to bring vengeance back to those responsible after 9/11. It shouldn’t be just the young “studs” who had to face danger. I felt I had a lot of experience and knowledge to contribute as well. I had to buck the system to get deployed. I was too old, or too senior in rank, too close to retirement, or whatever the excuse was. I persisted and finally deployed in 2006 for Operation Iraqi Freedom to ensure our shores were protected from further attacks. I never regretted the opportunity to deploy for a wartime assignment, but I wouldn't hold it against another soldier for not deploying provided they weren't trying to dodge the opportunity.

No, you will get the call one day. It isn't cool over there, it isn't fun, it isn't games. Every troop that says they miss it fits in one of three categories*:
1( FOB RAT
2( Mentally tipped
3( Liar
*If they were actually in country. Kuwait DOES NOT COUNT

Agreed. I feel the same way.

I think your question is a bit closed ended because its looking for a yes or no answer and its not that simple.
I do think that we all have an expectation to deploy and if required we will deploy with our command as required by the demands of the mission. I know in the Navy when your ship / squadron has to deploy we are expected to go without question. On Aircraft Carriers we have what is known as Beach Detachments that stay behind in the homeport and another Beach Detachment that will go ahead to where we're deploying to so that they can set up logistics for the area.
I think that probably almost every single service member is ready and willing to deploy its just that some never have been selected to deploy for whatever reason. In the end it doesn't make anyone a better or worse service member for deploying or not deploying.

Every Soldier who is qualified and has been called to deploy should. Yes some will never deploy based on their specialty or assignment or they've missed the window of opportunity, but the only time I feel irritated is when I see a Soldier, a Leader, a Volunteer suddenly go out of their way to avoid a deployment. In reality, I don't expect everyone in formation to have a patch on the right shoulder but I do expect everyone to step forward if they are asked to do so.

This is like history repeating itself. After the Vietnam War and until Desert Shield/Storm, very few in the military got to deploy. Even with DS/DS, the majority never deployed to the Middle East. So, you could spend a 30 year career, from 1972 or so to 2003, and never deploy. Is it your fault there were no wars or your skill was not needed for the deployment or you were in an assignment that would not deploy?? No; it is just how it goes. I agree with Cpl Pitts, "deploying is an expectation, not a requirement." Everyone should be deployable but if you never get that opportunity to deploy into combat it is not your fault. Also remember that deploying even for a training exercise teaches you a lot and you represent the United States of America wherever you deploy. Your actions could help sway someone in another country to respect America or hate America. Don't be down just because you may have missed your chance to go to war. Many of us would think you were lucky not to see the horrors many have seen.

No. Also remember that some people who beat their chest and brag loudly about their deployment just sat around on a FOB, got fat, and played computer games the whole time.

I agree that not deploying leaves a sense of being unfulfilled. I went on active duty in 1981 and retired in 2006. During that time the Army went to Haiti, Panama, Bosnia/Herzgovenia, Desert Storm/Desert Shield, Korea, numerous humanitarian deployments, yet due to the location and jobs I was in I did not have the opportunity to deploy. The most disappointing to me was being a Master Sergeant and being left in Germany while the majority of my Brigade was deployed to Bosnia. I believed that I needed a deployment to be promoted, was told that it did not matter, but when board results came out for years only Soldiers with deployments were selected. My Brigade Commander and Command Sergeant Major both counseled me that based on trust and confidence in me that I was better serving the Army and the Brigade by being a Rear Detachment Commander. That position on many occasions was tougher than what my guys were going through on the deployments, plus you did not get the opportunity to have a period of R&R when in the Command Position.

We all serve with the needs of the service, we don't always have a choice of deploying or not. That is not the same as people that dodge deployments or undepoloyable. Unfortunately some people believe that if you did not deploy that it was your fault and look down on you without knowing your full background. I would much rather put all of those years of training to use on a deployment, but military life is what it is and you make the best of every situation.