Military Draft Essay

556 Words2 Pages

In every major war that the United States has been in, a military draft was implicated to ensure that there was enough manpower available in the military during times of war. Also referred to as conscription, the military draft consists of selecting able-bodied individuals (historically males between ages of 18-25) for mandatory military service (“Understanding”). The problem is this: is it a good idea? The reinstatement of the United States military draft is a good idea for numerous ideas that will be later listed. The United States military draft should be reinstated.
One argument that holds the most water is that with conscription in place, there will be a greater strength supplied to the US military. During the Iraq War there were many …show more content…

Even without such personnel shortages, the services are too understrength to meet the needs of the post-Cold War era. The only way to resolve these problems is to bring back the draft. It is time to construct a conscription system that will both reinvigorate the citizen soldier and properly compensate the career force.”
A common argument against military drafting is that the draftees would be under-qualified and not fit for the necessary tasks that require special training. In rebuttal, Moskos states that “ in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, most combat soldiers had only six months of training before being sent to war. Peacekeeping operations are best suited to short-term servers at the lower enlisted ranks.”
On the other side of the spectrum, many maintain the idea that a draft would not be beneficial and altogether a bad idea. For instance, the effectiveness of the draft is called into question. The quantity of soldiers is increased, but in turn the overall quality of soldiers is drastically lowered. The draftees are less inclined to fight on the battlefield and would most likely be half-hearted and reluctant to as well. Also, there are many young men who believe in non-violence and do not wish to fight for their country nor anyone else

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