Compulsory Military Service: Advantages and Disadvantages
Compulsory military service is one of the most controversial subjects in the modern times. While some people believe that it should be made compulsory, others think it is some kind of infringement of an individual's rights. These critiques strongly believe that an individual should be left to decide whether they want to serve in the military or not. However, such critiques fail to acknowledge the many advantages of compulsory military service. In this paper, I will support the idea that military service should be made compulsory. I will outline the disadvantages of it versus its disadvantages and in the conclusion show that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.
Advantage 1: Unity among Citizens
One of the advantages of compulsory military service is that it creates unity among the citizens of a country (10 Meaningful Pros). When citizens enroll in the military, they are taught how to work both as an individual and also as part of the team. After all, the success or failure of an army greatly depends on its unity. Therefore, soldiers come together in a singular course which is to protect their country against external attacks. This kind of unity outlast the training period and extends into the post-military service period. In the end, it brings people from all corners of the country together.
Advantage 2: Equality
Compulsory military service also helps bring equality in a country (10 Meaningful Pros). This equality is achieved in the following way; when the government drafts people into military service, it drafts people from all walks of life. It does not care whether they are rich or poor, black or white or even tall or short. Governments do not also care about the sexuality or other preferences. Moreover, in military training, there is no special treatment. Every one of is treated the same. Therefore, during this time, all the people are equal no matter where they come from.
Advantage 3: Active Military Force
Compulsory military service also helps a country maintain an active military force (10 Meaningful Pros). When a government makes military service compulsory, it ensures that at least more than half of the population is trained in military warfare. It, therefore, means that in case of an external attack, the governments have enough men and women who can be activated to go and defend their country. This helps a country avoid unfortunate situations where a country might find itself lacking enough military personnel to combat an enemy.
Advantage 4: Development of Special Skills
Military service also instills special skills in individuals which they can use in their lives after they serve their period (10 Meaningful Pros). One of them is discipline. In military training, soldiers are required to be good time managers. They are shown how to do what is required of them at the right time. Important behavior such as waking up early, personal hygiene and learning to take orders can be beneficial to an individual in the future. For example, if the same individual manages to secure employment, they would have little or no problem reporting to work on time, meeting deadlines and maintaining personal hygiene. Learning to take orders can also come in handy in the workplace. For example, employees who have past military training would have little or no problem taking instructions from their bosses. On the other hand, ex-military men and women who occupied higher ranks in the army would have little or no problem leading to other employment capacities because of their prior experiences. Lastly, one of the most important skills an individual can ever get is learning how to work in a team. As mentioned earlier, soldiers are taught how to function in groups. Therefore, individuals who have had this kind of experience turn out to be very good employees who have the ability to function very well both individually and as a group.
Advantage 5: Government Participation
It also fosters and ensures government participation among the citizenry (13 Chief Pros). In countries where military service is compulsory, citizens tend to be more alert to government policies. For example, citizens might tend to be more alert towards military policies that the government adopts since they could result in them being activated in case of war.
Advantage 6: Deterrence of Invasion
Compulsory military service also discourages other countries from invading the country (13 Chief Pros). As mentioned earlier, countries which have this program have a huge number of military men and women who can be activated any time to combat an enemy when the need arises. Therefore, a country which would want to invade them can be discouraged by their military might. In the end, it helps make a country safe.
Disadvantage 1: Violation of Free Will
Enforced military service also has its disadvantages. One of them is that it violates free will (10 Meaningful Pros). When military service is made compulsory, it violates an individual's right to choose whether they want to join or not.
Disadvantage 2: Interference with Education
It also interferes with other forms of education (10 Meaningful Pros). In most countries, citizens are drafted into the army when they reach the age of 18 years. It, therefore, means that the youth have to postpone other forms of education such as going to college to serve in the army. They are only free to continue with whatever they wanted to do after serving in the army.
Disadvantage 3: Risk to Potential Lives
It also puts the lives of young people with great potential at risk (13 Chief Pros). As mentioned above, most governments which subscribe to the idea of compulsory military service draft young people when they reach the age of 18 years regardless of whether it is their wish or not. In case these countries go to war, these young people find themselves on the battlefield where they could easily lose their lives.
Disadvantage 4: Compromise in Service Quality
It also compromises the quality of military service (13 Chief Pros). As we have seen, during this exercise, the government drafts people with no interest whatsoever in military matters. These people, therefore, do not put any extra effort to serve their country in this capacity. They do not go an extra mile to do what they are supposed to do. Consequently, the quality of service that they offer goes down. On a large scale, it comprises the quality of the general military service.
Disadvantage 5: Creation of 'Second Class' Citizens
Compulsory military service also creates 'second class' citizens (Compulsory Military Service). People who are found to be unfit to serve in the army due to psychological or physical issues are looked down upon by those who are drafted. Such people are treated and feel like second-class citizens because unlike their peers, they haven't served in the army. Therefore, it brings disunity by creating two classes of citizens; those who have served in the army and those who have not.
Conclusion
In conclusion, mandatory military service has many advantages. Some of them are; it instills necessary skills that individuals can use in their post-military life, it also discourages other countries from invading the country, it increases the military capability of a country by ensuring that it has enough military personnel who can be activated in case of war, it also fosters unity and promotes equality among the citizens. Some of its disadvantages include; interfering with people's right to choose, reducing the quality of military service, putting lives of people at risk and finally creating second-class citizens. Looking at the advantages and the disadvantages highlighted above, it comes out clearly that the advantages of mandatory military service outweigh its disadvantages by far especially when it comes to the safety of a country. Therefore, countries which are already practicing it should continue to do while those who are yet to adopt it should be encouraged to adopt it as soon as possible.
Works Cited
10 Meaningful Pros and Cons of Mandatory Military Service. Connect US. 2015 Web. 5 March 2018.
13 Chief Pros and Cons of Compulsory Military Service. Green Garage. 2015. Web. 5 March 2018.
Compulsory Military Service Pros and Cons. Asia Pacific Economic Blog. 24 Dec 2014. Web. 5 March 2018.
