Military service for 18 year olds essays

Military service for 18 year olds essays The September 11 terrorist attacks and the subsequent War in Iraq has focused attention on the all-volunteer nature of the United States Armed Forces. The United States Army is suffering from a drought of junior officers, such as lieutenants and captains. This decrease is happening precisely at a time when the United States is increasing its military commitments all over the world, such as Iraq, Afghanistan and in other Various solutions have been offered towards beefing up the United States armed forces. Some suggest allowing women to serve in combat duty. Others have proposed increasing education and other benefits for enlisted soldiers. Still others suggest returning to the military draft. In the face of the strong need for more personnel, however, many have called for raising the age of required military registration for young men This paper argues that military registration needs to be a choice open to all young men, starting at age 18. After all, at this age, young men are legally recognized as adults. They have generally graduated from high school, are allowed to vote and could legally be tried as adults. It stands to reason that they could make an informed decision regarding The current system of conscription in the United States is dubbed the "Selective Service System" (SSS). The current system is an offshoot of the Military Selective Service Act of 1967, which established a draft lottery. Men were required to register with the SSS boards within 30 days before and after they turn 18 ("Selective Service"). By 1973, by abolishing conscription, the United States Congress effectively abolished the draft, creating the "all-volunteer" military. Though the current system of registration was reinstated for 18-year-old males, serving in the military remains voluntary ("Selective Service"). Though voluntary in nature, many groups con...