Mandatory Military Service for All Men and Women - Essay Example

1. Mandatory Military Service for All Men and Women In looking at the concept of mandatory military service, it might be valuable to view this in the light of how it might impact on the individual, their community, the wider society, and finally, their country. The most obvious contemporary example must be Israel, where a draft system has been in place since 1948, which means that all young Israeli citizens at 18 years old, are conscripted to serve for two years in the Israeli Defense Force (IDF).

There are of course exceptions, such as Jewish religious women, orthodox males and Arab youth, both Christian and Muslim. While a decrease has recently been identified in those 18 year olds entering military service, the idea behind the concept and its wider implications could well be expanded to other societies, with beneficial results. In 1970, David Ben Gurion, (Israeli Prime Minister 1948-1953 and 1955-1963), expressed the view that "the mission of our armed forces remains as orientated towards constructive ends such as education and the unifying of Israeli youth through common training and experience as it does towards warfare.

" (Ben Gurion, 1970)Dr. Hanna Herzog, a sociologist stated, 25 years later, that: "military service is a basic social institution that shapes many aspects..The importance of military service on an individual level lies in it being a mechanism for personal transformation." (Herzog, 1995)Taking these comments, which encapsulate the benefits of mandatory military service for all, and applying them outside the context of one war-torn, beleaguered society, still allows a positive view 2.to emerge. Many young people in our society are without goals, direction, discipline or focus.

Even worse, there is often no sense of belonging or loyalty, and while this might be considered a generalization, there is much evidence to show that is is an unfortunate yet prevalent aspect of many modern Western societies. If young people, male and female (to adhere to the ethos of the Equal Rights Act), were conscripted to serve their country for two years, either in the military or as a form of national service, the benefits could be huge. For the individual, a sense of purpose, a requirement to follow rules and understand and accept consequences, the opportunity to develop personal skills and to relate to and support others, would become part of their character.

The benefits of such socialization would then extend to the community, then to society as a whole. An understanding of true citizenship could be developed, together with a willingness to apply positive behaviors. Ideally, such experience would result in a society which upholds respect, moral values, loyalty, concern for others and a willingness to defend their own rights, and those of others, while protecting and serving their country. There is no reason to believe that females need to be excluded.

In fact, figures for the U.S. military show that women comprise 15% of forces on active duty and 25% of reserves. They have access to 95% of all military jobs and the highest number of senior ranking females than any other world force. These figures were publicized by CBC News, as recently as May 2006. This shows women to be both willing and able to serve, as indeed can be confirmed by women's history. The proposed legislation, known as 'Universal National Service Act of 2006' , debated in 109th Congress, in February 2006, states the rationale behind it thus: "To provide for the common defense by requiring all persons in the United States, including women, between the ages of 18 and 42 to perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes.

" 3.The 'other purposes' in question may well be those defined earlier in this essay. When considered with those issues in mind, there can be nothing but positive benefits from requiring citizens to serve their country, regardless of what political persuasion or beliefs they might hold, and bearing in mind that exemptions would apply. To conclude, the words of one man have never been more appropriate in support of this idea. John F. Kennedy, in his inaugural speech on January 20, 1961, left a memorable legacy, not just for the U.S.A.

, but for all democratic nations when he said, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."Works CitedCBC News, May 30 2006. Indepth: Female Soldiers. Women in the Military - international. 9 June 2006, http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/military-international/Kennedy, J. F., January 20 1961. Inaugural Address. 9 June 2006. http://americanrhetoric.com/ speeches/PDFFiles/John%20F.%20Kennedy%20-%20Inaugural%20Address.pdfNational Youth Service in Israel (n.d.) Background on Military Service in Israel.

10 June 2006. http://www.carmelinstitute.org.il/YouthService/nysinisrael.htmRangle, C., 2006. Universal National Service Act of 2006 (Draft of 18-42 Men, Women) 10 June 2006. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/zc109:H.R.4752.IH: