BF2S Forums Is a country better off mandating a military service or not?

I actually voted yes because I think military service for young men would be essentially a good thing. It is good to learn discipline and develop mental and physical toughness and having a general population with some form of military experience would be a positive in the event of anyone ever attempting an invasion or an attack. However, if the situation of compulsory military service exists within a society then those at the decision-making level of society must be scrutinised intensely at every juncture when it comes to deciding where these young troops get deployed... no blood for oil thank you very much, national defence only!

There should also be an option for socially focused service along with the military service route... I think some countries in Europe have this. Let's face it, not everyone is cut out to be a soldier, why not put these non-soldiers to work in the community instead.

CameronPoe wrote:

oug wrote:

CameronPoe wrote:

I think it should be mandatory. Everybody who is capable should/must pitch in with respect to defence of their country.

You would change your mind if you went.

The only way this would work is if it was like a really fast, to the point, no bs intense training program thing. Then, maybe. But it could never be like this if it's mandatory and everyone has to go. The way it is now, trust me. At best it's a waste of time.

I would be thinking of somewhere in the region of two years. Is that too short?

imo it's 23 months too long

that's Israel you're talking about ffs!

IG-Calibre wrote:

Braddock wrote:

I actually voted yes because I think military service for young men would be essentially a good thing. It is good to learn discipline and develop mental and physical toughness and having a general population with some form of military experience would be a positive in the event of anyone ever attempting an invasion or an attack.

Load of oul balls, the great military myth that is perpetrated by governments.  Fact - 1 in 11 prisoners serving time in UK jails is a former member of the British armed forces.  So they must have been potential criminal scum before they put the uniform on and realised their potential when they took it off again.  So much for the intervening military service..

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop … isons.html

That could just be that Britain is full of scum though!

Switzerland have a very patriotic military service program and, I believe, reasonable crime rates.

Braddock wrote:

That could just be that Britain is full of scum though!

Switzerland have a very patriotic military service program and, I believe, reasonable crime rates.

Ye... if only the UK - or any other country for that matter - were anything like Switzerland, this might have been a valid example. But, its not. So, it isn't! 

I speak from the point of view of someone who would have liked to have received a basic amount of military training in the potential event that something ever happened to my nation, one shouldn't have to sign up for a career in the military to be prepared for such a scenario. I mean I'd be confident of taking on a soldier from any nation when it comes to hand to hand combat but I aint so good with a gun!

imortal wrote:

Braddock wrote:

I speak from the point of view of someone who would have liked to have received a basic amount of military training in the potential event that something ever happened to my nation, one shouldn't have to sign up for a career in the military to be prepared for such a scenario. I mean I'd be confident of taking on a soldier from any nation when it comes to hand to hand combat but I aint so good with a gun!

Well, if you WANT the training, it isn't too late to volunteer!

It is for me... flat feet and a bad knee!

Mint Sauce wrote:

CameronPoe wrote:

I think it should be mandatory. Everybody who is capable should/must pitch in with respect to defence of their country.

Tbph, I don't agree.

And that's the problem with mandatory military service - some people just don't want to do it.

Cam - would you want your life resting in the hands of someone who couldn't give a fuck?

I know I wouldn't - and I'm one that would be giving a fuck.

jord wrote:

Braddock wrote:

IG-Calibre wrote:

Load of oul balls, the great military myth that is perpetrated by governments.  Fact - 1 in 11 prisoners serving time in UK jails is a former member of the British armed forces.  So they must have been potential criminal scum before they put the uniform on and realised their potential when they took it off again.  So much for the intervening military service..

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop … isons.html

That could just be that Britain is full of scum though!

Switzerland have a very patriotic military service program and, I believe, reasonable crime rates.

You can have a Patriotic military service program all night long when you get into a war 10% as much as every country on the same continent.

I'm ex forces and l now work in the Prison service and l have met a few ex forces chaps as cons. The ones l have met have done as they are told are alot more respectful to the staff. (My nick is all young offenders, so l get alot of plastic gangsters!) They just want to get on with there time and thats it. All the forces bods that have been in my nick have been in side for fighting, they've come back from tour a in Iraq and get pissed and have a fight.

Bit of a de railing of thread.

On Topic. We as a nation (Blighty) when we had national service as far as l can see did well. Maybe it was a differnet generation, but alot of national service men served on operations to wonderful places like Suez, Malaysia, Cyprus and others. For alot of people who did national service thay can recall the good times they had and rarely talk about the bad. Todays youth l fear would not be as good. Granted there would be a fair few that would be, but there ids alot that l would not trust with a soup spoon let aload a loaded weapon or a grenade!