Abstract
To have or not to have a military draft is a debate that has sparked many views nationwide. America has not had a military draft since 1973 when it was done away with after the Vietnam War ended. The country then converted to the all-voluntary military.
The Afghanistan war and the Iraq war have seen the championing for a draft with Charles Rangel a US representative from New York introducing the Universal National Service Act of 2006 which was referred to the House Subcommittee in Military personnel.
Introduction
The military draft was introduced just before the United States joined World War Two. It was continued by the government after the war because of the needs resulting from the conflict of the cold war and the Soviet Union and other communist groups and nations. The draft was ended in 1973 after the end of the Vietnam War and the US military became an all-volunteer force. This arrangement worked well until the Afghanistan war started in 2001 and the Iraq war in 2003. it then became apparent that the war was exerting a strain on the US military hence the call for a draft that would ensure provision of enough manpower for the military and also ensure that everyone shares equally in the risks involved in defending the country.
Discussion
Had there been a military draft in place, the Iraq war would probably never have started. This is because a draft makes war less attractive especially if it affects everyone directly. It is important to note that out of all those senators who voted for the Iraq war, not a single one sent his/her son or daughter out there into the desert.
The US government tried to convince us that everything was alright despite our television screens being flooded by images of dead bodies and bombed buildings by the then president George Bush going on a trip to Baghdad that only lasted a few hours before he returned to his safe abode in Washington. If he was trying to make a point on bravery, he should have probably tried to man traffic in Youssifiyah a hostile town in Iraq.
A draft would also ensure fairness in the nation by ensuring that every one their economic and social classes, religion and race notwithstanding has a role to play in the civilian or military service at one point in their lives.
The military has been known to be dominated by one religion that is Christianity. It is also dominated by people in the lower economic class who have been attracted by the enticing salaries the military has to offer. A draft would ensure equality in the military by creating a level balance.
It would also ensure more manpower in the military especially if there should be a shortage in the future. Moreover, an increase in manpower would mean a shorter stay for those soldiers who have been deployed to hardship areas such as in Afghanistan.
The volunteer army has commonly been referred to as the poverty draft. This is because those who cannot find gainful employment often resort to joining the army to make ends meet. This is because of the lucrative salaries offered to volunteers. This ends up making the nation have soldiers who are in the army for all the wrong reasons and it could end up giving a low output.
If the draft was introduced it would ensure volunteers joined the army because they desire to serve in the military and not because of the salary. This is because the amount earned by a draftee would be significantly lower than the one a volunteer gains.
The draft targets all citizens from the age of 18-42 years regardless of their sex.
This would ensure that young people are taught the values of discipline and teamwork that are not satisfactorily taught in the current curriculum. The military is known for its strict cleanliness and neatness rules. It also trains one on the value of time hence the recruits would learn how to use time to their advantage and avoid losing it as time is one of the most valuable resources in man’s life. All young people would benefit from this and it would shape their lives into a promising and bright future, as these skills are mandatory in the current job market.
The military would be representative of the American people due to the incorporation of people holding different incorporation of people of different races, religions, economic and social classes. This will ensure that all groups have their views and recommendations aired without discrimination.
The military draft could also act as a sieve for sifting thoughts in a large group so as to get people who have potential to make good officer material that is if they would like a career in the military. This would give all citizens a fair chance of proving themselves by offering a level playground.
It would also reduce expenses that are incurred by the use of enormous sums of money to appease the would-be volunteers. This money would be used for a much more deserving course that would see to the economic or academic advancement of our nation.
Finally the draft would be an effective tool in minimizing the beaurocracy that exists in the military for example the unfair promotions whereby unqualified personnel are promoted leaving the hard-working ones who really deserved the promotion at the bottom of the ladder.
Conclusion
Some people argue that the introduction of a military draft would flood the military with poorly trained and unqualified soldiers. But how efficient is a soldier who has no love for what he has chosen to do and is only motivated by the salary at the end of the month? In my opinion all recruits undergo training so the issue of being untrained and unqualified should not arise. The draftees give a higher output as their motivation comes not from the salary they receive but from their sense of patriotism to this country. The issue of the draft being expensive should also not arise since the military also spends a lot of money on the wartime salaries and allowances they offer.
This draft has something in it for everyone including our children who are going to learn precious lessons that will be necessary for their survival. It will also benefit the world by ensuring that we only go to war only when it’s the only option. All of us will gain satisfaction knowing the services we offered at some point in our lives contributed to the defense of the nation and homeland security.
References
Hollray, P. R. To Draft or Not To Draft : 2006. Web.