Military Service

GayandProud · FemaleFirst Guru Joined: 06 Dec 2007 Posts: 3847

Long story short, I was researching something for my upcoming exams and happened to read about military service in Angola and the law relating to it.

All Angolan males between 20 and 45 have to do 2 years military service. Desertion is a crime with up to 12 years imprisonment and evasion is punishable by increasing the term to 4 years.

I know other countries have compulsory military service. The UK and the US do not. I wondered what you thought about that and whether compulsory military service is a good idea or not?

The Colonel · FemaleFirst Guru Joined: 20 Aug 2007 Posts: 9430

drew · FemaleFirst Guru Joined: 28 Dec 2005 Posts: 4643

nope mainly becouse i dont want to do it Laughing

, a firend of mine has just about to ship out cyprus befor the send him off to irqu in a year

i could probaly make slection (if i quit smoking) but i dont want to kill people just becouse im told to if i have to kill then id rather kill for a good reason,

how ever crimnials conscripted to the army im all for, or making them do S*** jobs no one wants to do

Jane_ · Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 7:17 pm Post subject: Re: Military Service

The Colonel · FemaleFirst Guru Joined: 20 Aug 2007 Posts: 9430

Lena · Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 2:07 am Post subject:

For my parents generation the draft was good since guys could escape the hills and make money .

My ex step dad told all of us we'd be enlisting at 18 .Good they broke up when I was 13! Think I wud have ended up in army prison . Laughing

l

Gibbous Moon · Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 10:38 am Post subject:

The idea behind national service type conscription was to create a pool of citizens who could handle a gun and were used to taking orders so that in the event of a pan-European war the army could quickly expand. We don’t live in those kind of times anymore.

I’m more in favour of a national service Peace Corp – if you can’t prove you’re doing something useful and you want to live on social transfer income (eg my taxes), off you go and build paths in National Parks.

A few guys I know were from countries where national service was required. Ironically, one Greek and one Turkish Cypriot. Neither got much out of it and think the Greek guy may have been a strategic liability.

GM

azraelle · Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 11:14 am Post subject:

I was under the impression that military service was compulsory in Switzerland and Israel. Not exactly unworkable or cost-ineffective, and certainly not an abomination--just an irritant. Now to a power monger like Bush, or Hillary, or John McCain for that matter, compulsory service, along with pardons for 20 million illegal aliens to provide cannon fodder, there is just no telling where they would stop, or be stopped. Food for thought. Shocked

GayandProud · FemaleFirst Guru Joined: 06 Dec 2007 Posts: 3847

azraelle · Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 2:06 pm Post subject:

Compulsory military service was the rule, not the exception, in the USA until ~1975, commonly referred to as "the Draft", aka "Selective Service", and the law has never been rescinded, hence the current radio advertisements for all 18 year old males to register for selective service. It was the norm while I was in High School and beyond--the fact that my draft number the year I turned 18 was 312, and the draft satisfied its quota by the time they reached ~53 that year didn't prevent my best friend from serving in VietNam (his number was 37), nor did it sour me from later volunteering to serve 3 years in the Army after it became "all volunteer". If you are such a wimp that the mere thought of becoming a soldier causes you to figuratively pee your pants, then I feel sorry for you.

GayandProud · FemaleFirst Guru Joined: 06 Dec 2007 Posts: 3847

yeah whatever big man Laughing

you seem quite grumpy Sad

It seems we're getting our wires crossed here, I referred to Angola where even children are routinely press ganged into service and where detention and beatings are commonplace.

Somehow I dont think the US or Switzerland compares...but hey be my guest, lets hear how brave you are and how wimpy I am if it makes you feel better. Wink

Lena · Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 4:01 pm Post subject:

Theres also what amounts to a money draft here.

Since jobs are being exported and the Republicans have done all they can to get rid of loans and grants for little people to go to college many have to go in the service. Rolling Eyes

The Colonel · FemaleFirst Guru Joined: 20 Aug 2007 Posts: 9430

AussieAdam · Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 9:32 am Post subject:

As someone who served in both the British and Australian army I am sure the Colonel would agree that when you are part of a section and in a combat situation you need to be 100% confident that the guys around you are with you and focussed.

I wouldnt want half my section to be made up of conscripts who have only a few weeks left to do or have hated every day of being in the forces and therefore have attitude and social issues. I want people with me who I can depend on.

As for Angola - The forces there are really just a collection of mercinary groups and guerillas anyway knitted together by a military structure that leads its forces by the use of fear.

BeachBall · Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 12:33 pm Post subject:

I think that those who have never served, and think it to be a good thing, should read what AussieAdam and the Colonel have to say here, and have another good, long, hard think about it.

I have never served - but I have been part of a team (okay - so I coxed a racing VIII) and one thing I know about working as a team is that you must all pull together. And that means that you must all be equally committed.

In my team, if we had a member who wasn't committed, then we'd lose the race. Big deal. In a military team, if you have one member who isn't committed, it could get the whole team killed. It kinda makes a difference.