Although mandatory military service (MMS) is something that is actively practiced in

other countries across the world, this policy has never been enforced in the United States. There

has been a series of statutory regimes implemented with sweeping effects but not one which

entails MMS. MMS typically involves having men and women being drafted for a medical

examination once they reach the age of 18 whereby if found fit, they are declared fit to be in

military service and if not, are temporarily or permanent exempted. Once they have been signed

on, the selected individuals are then expected to be in service for a given period of time which is

usually around two years. Nonetheless, there are those who are against the implementation of

MMS. However, despite these counterarguments, the U.S. government should implement MMS

because it would help establish a connection between Americans and the military, increase

democratic control, and reduce crime and other social issues for the benefit of the overall

American society.

History of Mandatory Military Service in the U.S.

Mandatory Military Service (MMS) or draft is known as the compulsory enlistment of

people into the military. In the U.S., military has been a voluntary thing since the year

1973[CITATION usa21 \p "para. 1" \l 1033 ]. However, this was not always the case and the nation

has had its share where all able-bodied men would be required to register for and serve in the

militaryg4. According to Perri, the history of MMS in America starts with colonial militia (429).

All the colonies in the Americas except for Pennsylvania had laws in place regarding militia.

Thus, MMS as a law was designed to help provoke individuals to volunteer.

According to an article by Michael Ray about Selective Services Acts, this policy was the

law that saw the implementation of MMS. However, the first ever MMS implementation was in

1861-65 during the Civil War (Para. 1). As peacetime lasted after the war, the U.S. army during
this time was only slightly above 100,000. Thus, when the country entered into the First World

War in 1917, President Wilson signed the Selective Service Act which in return paved way for

the selective system whereby approximately 2.8 million individuals became enlisted. However,

according to Vergun (2020), the actual real implementation of the MMS was implemented just

before the commencement of the Second World War. This was in 1940 after the then U.S.

president, Franklin Roosevelt signed the draft known as the Selective Training and Service Act

into a policy. This new policy required all adult males aged between 21 to 45 years to forward

their names for enlistment[CITATION Ver20 \p "Para. 2" \l 1033 ].

However, since 1973, drafting has never been carried out. Nonetheless, some programs

have been implemented and one that came close to MMS was the draft conducted during the

Civil War. This was implemented in both the South and the North[CITATION Pau13 \p 2600 \l

1033 ]. Yet, this policy did not get good reception from the people and was met with rampant

criticism as well as violent resistance particularly in the North. Thus, after the Civil War came to

an end, so did the draft. Nonetheless, regardless of the evident not so pleasant history between

the MMS and the citizens of the U.S., there exists a disconnect between the citizens and the

military. It has been evidenced that the percent of individuals with military expertise in the

country is presently at an all-time low[CITATION VAo21 \p "para 4" \l 1033 ].

Supporting Arguments

i. Establish a connection between Americans and the Military

In support of the argument that the U.S. should implement MMS, the article, Draft Time:

This is why and how America should have compulsory military service by Nick De Gregorio

explores the reasons why MMS should be implemented. One argument that the author makes in
support is that there exists a disconnect between the American civilians and the American

military[CITATION VAo21 \p "para 4" \l 1033 ]. Currently, only 7.3 percent of American citizens

alive have been in military service at one point or another in their lives. Consequently, this then

translates to the existence of a small number of individuals that have a direct relationship with

people serving in the force. The resultant impact then is that those in the military then become a

class of unknowns, nameless, faceless individuals with whom the citizens of the U.S. have no

personal association with[CITATION VAo21 \p "para 4" \l 1033 ]. To the Americans, those in service

are expendable.

ii. Increase in Democratic Control

The article “Conscription as a morally preferable form of military recruitment” by Mathias S

Sagdahl argues that MMS increases democratic control over those in service and educates

citizens in matters regarding military as well as issues surrounding security[CITATION Sag18 \p 228

\l 1033 ]. Further, in support of this argument, the article “Should America reinstate the draft?”

by Charles Rangel and James Lacey expounds on the inevitable suffering that veterans have to

bear for letting only a small percent of the American population bear the burden of war for the

other larger American society.

According to Rangel and Lacey, approximately 20 percent of military officers coming from

war zones such as Afghanistan and Iraq suffer from Post Traumatic Disorder or major depression

(12). Thus, Rangel and Lacey argue that it’s not morally correct to forsake this brave group of

the American society and therefore, Americans should consider how they can not only protect

the mental well-being of those in service but also how they can maintain the national defense of

the country[CITATION Ran13 \p 12 \l 1033 ]. Thus, in Rangel and Lacey’s argument, letting
enlisting Americans for MMS for a period of two years would effectively allow the government

to meet the aforementioned goals with ease.

iii. Reduction in Crime and social issues

Another reason why America should adopt the MMS is because it has the potential to reduce

crime. According to an article by Williams, implementation of the MMS would see a drastic

reduction not only in crime but also in social issues such as teen pregnancy and a reduction in

substance abuse. Williams argues that conscription which is also the mandatory service in

military would provide American youths with an opportunity that would allow them to optimally

reach their real potential (13).

MMS is one of the most ancient approaches to national service and can be found in both

republic and nonrepublic nations. When a conscript is enrolled, its not just the state that will

benefit but also the military and the individual themselves. The military would benefit in that

they would see an increase in manpower[CITATION Sag18 \p 228 \l 1033 ]. The nation, on the other

hand, would benefit from increased national spirit and unity while the neighborhoods of its

different state see increased security and an overall increase in the health of the society. For the

individual and troubled teens, they would get to receive training that they would otherwise have

not received, get experience, and discipline. These aspects in return would see them thrive in life

and become secure and stable[CITATION Wil06 \p 13 \l 1033 ]. The reason for this is because, not

only does MMS unite people from different walks of like, races, sexes, and religious

backgrounds, it also would provide them with a task to work towards a common goal.

Additionally, MMS would give the conscript the opportunity to learn about different

practical skills that they would need in life. An example is first aid, survival skills required when
in the wilderness, self-defense, and proficiency in utilizing technology such as computers.

Another benefit that the individual would get is that they would experience becoming physically

fit, mental strength, and gaining knowledge in different areas as they would be exposed to all

these things[CITATION Wil06 \p 13 \l 1033 ]. Another benefit is that MMS is a gateway to future

opportunities: friendships are forged in the mandatory military service that opens door to a world

of possibilities after the completion of service. Many people who partake in the service end up

finding a partner and later got married afterwards. Others find a business partner and most people

are able to get their priorities right during the service year as a result of the absolute focus that

the mandatory military service demands.

iv. Personal evolution and development

According to an interview conducted with Attai about his experience undertaking the MMS,

the interviewee indicated that there is so much to gain at a personal level for the youths who get

drafted. One of the positives listed was that being in the military shapes an individual to become

disciplined. This manifests in time management, dress code, respect for authority, and neatness.

In his experience, Attai indicates that he learned how be time conscious and organized in life. He

argues that the regimented life of military service teaches individuals need to have a time table

for everything and to keep to time - not to do things whenever or however they like and most

importantly, not to procrastinate. Further, Attai indicates that another important lesson he learned

while doing his MMS was on the importance of cleanliness. In the interview, he indicated that an

individual is expected to keep their belongings and environment clean always. Once this habit is

imbibed, it becomes useful to the person even after they are done with the service.

Another important lesson that Americans can learn from enlisting for MMS is that of

endurance and perseverance. According to Attai, the toughness of military training and the rigor
of military life helps one to be brave and not easily give up when faced with adversity. Military

training, for example, pushes an individual to the limit of human endurance and been able to

survive it takes sheer willpower. It builds a person’s mental health in a whole lot of ways. This

way, the next by product that comes out of it is selflessness. “Military service is all about putting

your life on the line (if situations demand it) for a fellow human being and/or for the nation. It

gives one something to live for or die for with pride, a culture of heroism” [ CITATION Att21 \l

1033 ]. Thus, not only would MMS encourage a growth in an individual’s character but also

would expand their horizons in shared humanness.

Counter Arguments

However, despite the aforementioned arguments in support of the MMS, other people

have a differing opinion. According to the article “The Ricks Plan Needs Another Draft” by

Abby Arganese, the military does not stand to gain much from having an increase in supply of

workforce of young adults of 18 years who will be in service for only 2 years. Further, Arganese

argues that the United States government is already beleaguered with arguments surrounding

veterans’ benefits spending and questions whether the country would actually be in a position to

afford such an insurmountable amount of money for tuition assistance to cater for the fresh

recruits[CITATION Arg12 \p "para 3" \l 1033 ].

Another counterargument is that the cost paid by MMS is too high not just through a

mental health perspective but also from an economics point of view. In the article “Do guns

replace books? The impact of compulsory military service on educational attainment,” the

authors, Bauer et al. argue that due to the time spent serving in military, those individuals who

get drafted get to graduate from their tertiary education a few years later compared to their peers

who never got conscripted. Consequently, if there is a compulsory retirement in place in the
various fields of professions that the individual is in, the conscript is then likely to have a limited

amount of time to get the benefits to their human-capital investment[CITATION Bau11 \p 2 \l 1033 ].

Further, according to a report by Card and Ana about the wage system for individuals

who have been in conscription, the authors argue that MMS negatively affects the earning

economic power of the conscripts. Card and Ana indicates that conscripts are likely to suffer

losses resulting from coerced service when looked at from an economic perspective. Based on

evidence, individuals who were drafted for the Vietnam War by the U.S. government were

reported to get lower wages compared to those who had not been drafted[CITATION Car11 \p 1 \l

1033 ]. This issue has been associated with the low-quality experience obtained in the military

when it comes to other professions found within the job market for the civilians. This does not

only happen to freshly released conscripts but even to veterans who have been retired from

service for more than a decade. Therefore, this economic loss does serve as an incentive for

people to adhere to MMS requirements.

Lastly, in support against MMS, Santiago Garano argues that when it comes to being in

the military as a mandatory requirement, then it becomes an issue of “freedom of conscience”

and a decision that should be made by the family[CITATION San10 \p 175 \l 1033 ]. According to

the author, MMS assumes that the idea of human rights is abstract and does not have enough

meaning. Thus, the freedom to chose whether to be in the military or not is based on the power

relations in place. Thus, while human rights translate to universal value of the self of an

individual, MMS renders this null and void because it perpetuates the ideology that the concept

of human rights can be politically and culturally altered. This is such that what it means is that

this universal value can be modified politically to fit the particular contexts[CITATION San10 \p

176 \l 1033 ]. Therefore, the author argues that youths should be allowed a freedom of conscience
to chose whether they want to be in the military or not without being made to feel guilty for not

being “patriotic” enough. Further, Garano emphasizes that family also has a say in what their

children are required to do as is provided for by their right as the legal custodians.

Conclusion

MMS is the oldest form of nationalism in any form of government. However, some

people are against it and argue that its cost is too high. In the United States, for example, when

the initial draft was introduced during the Civil War in the 19th century, the policy was met with

mixed reactions. Some were for it while others strongly opposed the ideology. Those against it

indicate that it violates the recruits’ civil rights as humans. Others quote the costs incurred to

effectively run the program and argue that it’s too high compared to the benefits gained.

However, although these arguments do make a case, the benefits of MMS outweigh its negatives.

For example, MMS does not only benefit the country but also the individuals who get listed as

conscripts and also the society at large. Examples of benefits gained include a country’s

preparedness in case of a war outbreak, the conscript gains a lot of discipline and learns how to

manage they time as they gain invaluable survival and hands-on skills, and it bridges the gap

between the civilians and the military. All these are benefits that would otherwise not be

achieved by most people if they do not have access to such a program. Therefore, taking into

account the above-mentioned benefits, the U.S. government should implement a mandatory

military service for all youths that reach the age of 21.
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