by Samantha Alves
The current relationship between the American people and their military is unsound. Before the D-Day invasion, Dwight D. Eisenhower, a five star general and future president, warned his troops that “your task will not be an easy one … your enemy is well trained, well equipped, and battle hardened.” This speech came at a time when nearly a tenth of Americans was in uniform, and military and civilian life were extremely connected. Contrastingly, in President Obama’s 2014 speech to soldiers being deployed in Iraq, he acclaimed those “9/11 heroes” making up the “finest fighting force in the history of the world” and assured their superiority to all foes. Although these words may seem commonplace today, this extreme confidence actually puts a buffer between civilians and their military.
Nowadays, most people regard the military with respect and even amazement, but little understanding. Our reverence for the sacrifice and duty of soldiers bleeds into praise for the establishment, resulting in a populace that rarely takes the military seriously. We take moments of silence to remember fallen heroes and offer a “Thank you for your service!” to people in uniform, but then immediately return to our civilian lives. In recent times, respect for big business, Congress, and even the President has been replaced with unrelenting skepticism, but our faith in our generals has not faltered. Our military system is hardly without fault, and yet, since 9/11, it is also remarkably without criticism. This disconnect between civilians and soldiers is pervasive and unnerving. Perhaps one of its causes is that we have not held a draft in over 40 years.
To most young Americans, who have never seen a draft and over 99% of whom have never been in uniform, the idea of mandatory conscription seems preposterous. However, according to the CIA World Factbook, it is a reality for those in about 72 countries around the world like Austria, Norway, and Switzerland. Millions of adolescents the same age as Nobles students are currently preparing themselves not for immediate higher education or careers after high school, but instead to fulfill military duties to their countries. A national service requirement in the US could ask that adolescents no longer in school serve for a year in either a military branch or a civilian service branch like AmeriCorps working on issues like poverty or access to health care. Beyond just fueling a larger armed force, countries with required service also cite it for decreasing crime, improving economy, creating a more globally and politically conscious populace, and promoting equality. In Israel, all citizens, regardless of race, background, or even gender, serve together in a ‘melting pot’ of military training. In contrast, many branches of the US military were not even open to women until last year. Countries with service requirements have cited increased patriotism from a nation of veterans. The United States, which has experienced a strong fall in patriotism exacerbated by the most recent elections, may benefit in the same way.
There has been, in response to recent upheavals, a global trend toward establishing conscription. The recent aggression of Russia, for example, has caused a need for increased militarization, including conscription, in several Eastern European countries. The Ukraine reinstated a service requirement in 2014, Lithuania in 2015, and Sweden, most recently, in 2017. The Swedish defense minister claims the new policy is needed for “military readiness.” Others, however, support new mandatory service requirements for more than just military necessity. Prince Harry of the UK cites his ten years in the army as highly formative and professed that “the army has done amazing things for [him].” He called for the return of national service, and even encouraged his young niece and nephew to consider joining the armed forces. This is a common sentiment among veterans: according to the Pew Research Center, 82% of post-9/11 war veterans would advise young people close to them to join the military. Additionally, over 90% of said veterans claim their experiences in uniform helped them mature, work with others, and gain self confidence. With conscription, the military can not only help form the character of individuals, but of an entire generation.
So, should the middle schoolers start preparing for a peacetime draft upon graduation? Reasonably, the United States, as a country that values freedom and competition above most else, will probably not be adopting conscription for anything but the most dire emergency. We faced massive backlash after the draft for Vietnam, and may see a similar response to a national service requirement. However, there is still a lot we can learn from other country’s policies to help us close the gap between the public and the military. One way is to promote more open discussion of our armed forces and each of our possible roles within them. For a school dedicated to “service for the public good,” very few graduates even contemplate a career in uniform. It is time for us to reconsider our perception of the military.