do something for your country

[claymore]

do you think that Britain should introduce two years compulsory military service for everyone turning 21?

[jake-the-peg]

I'm pretty damn sure that not one of the military top brass do!

[rojash]

Go and live for a couple of years in Aldershot or Farnborough. Then you'll realise that two years in the military will produce nothing but drunken yobs who have to be banned from most pubs and clubs.

[claymore]

rojash, being in the military is no prerequisite for being a drunken yob and banned from pubs and clubs . The difference between being a drunken yobbo in civy street and a drunken yobbo in the military is you learn very quickly the error of your ways.

[jake-the-peg]

Really Claymore?

Nearly 10% of Convicts are ex-servicemen

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7589953.stm

[jackthehat]

^...........which means 90% are not.

[T&S]

rojash,

Bit of a generalisation there I think. You imply that by being in the military will produce drunken yobs...so who are all these idiots getting leathered every weekend then, are they all servicemen/women?

I'm not going to go on about what a great job the military do. As someone in the Forces I know there are plenty of idiots serving, but there are thousend more, me included, who don't pander to your stereotype.

Top and bottom of it is, we don't want individuals who have been told they will serve, we want people who want to join up.

[hc4361]

Fantastic free training for militants and would be terrorists.

[jake-the-peg]

Well done Jack - I can see you were awake in level 1 maths.

Now for level 2 maths: Given there are 4 million ex service personnel in a country of 60 million how much more likely is a serviceman to end up in gaol compared to an ordinary member of the community?

[MWB]

A big YES here for New Zealand, anyway. But it should be turning 18.

Bash some basic training into 'em!

[Ankou]

no, if my daughters wanted to go into active service i would rather that did it by conscious choice than by force/national requirement.

[maxximus]

the largest military in the world comes from a country with no compulsory military service. but 100% medical and dental, man, wife and children. but none of the above for it's citicenry, this is how you maintain the largest army in the world. make peopkle bow to their medical needs, mother, father, family.

[jake-the-peg]

"do something for your country"

Go and fight in somebody else's!

I'd have more sympathy for conscription to the police force - but I dare say they'd not be too keen on the idea either!

[chakka35]

It's out of the question on practical grounds. Modern armed forces have highly specialised personnel, so there would be no jobs to give the conscripts and no equipment for them. No accomodation either.
It worked after WWII because there was a sudden surplus of all of those things.

National Service in other, more productive, areas might be an idea: clearing the canals, planting forests, decorating pensioners' homes.

But you'd have two problems: furious opposition from trades unions, and lack of discipline. We no longer live in an age where young people would automatically obey a summons to 'sign on' and then report for duty. And when they refused in their droves, what do you you?

Where would the police come from - military or civilian - to round them up? The courts to prosecute them? The prison cells to hold them?

[Lonnie]

They should introduce it for all able bodied males on reaching eighteen.

[rojash]

Of course there are drunken yobs that are not in the military and I didn't imply otherwise. But just wander through any town with a strong military presence and you will see the signs outside the pubs and clubs: "No Paras", "No Squaddies", etc. The military produces yobs in a higher proportion, and of course they a physically fit yobs who have been trained in the ways of violence.

[Lonnie]

A bit strange, unless its a modern phenomenon, While serving, i've been based all over this country, and even though certain indiduals, were barred, and rightly so, I never, in all the ten years I was in, ever came accross an establishment that barred all Squaddies, in general they were happy to see us.

We fought hard, we drank hard, and yes, there were fights, but damage was always paid for the next day.

As for National Sevice, i'm for it, because it gives you self discipline,

[Beatrice35]

Think it is a very good idea claymore. In fact, many youth lack discipline/self discipline/good etiquette + were not raised with good manners so think it would really help the nation if national service were to be re-introduced. For both sexes , however, please!! Was raised with a good balance of discipline + love so am a well rounded individual yet many youth + even adults my age or sometimes older are not good ambassadors for Britain by their behaviour. Also, think military style bootcamp for unruly teenagers + out of control adults would be a good idea. Agree Claymore, yet, 18 would be better for compulsory military service for both sexes. Great thread! Warm wishes, Bea :-)

[chakka35]

Is no-one prepared to discuss seriously the reasons I gave as to why NS could not possibly be re-introduced into the armed forces? Or what other forms of NS there could be?

Is everyyone fixated on yobbishness and drunkenness?

I though it was meant as a serious question.