Should Military Service Be Compulsory

Should Military Service be Compulsory?

Armies are usually respected by societies because the soldiers risk their lives to save them, and they also defend the freedom of their countries. Furthermore, they help people during natural disasters. Military service is compulsory in some countries, whereas in others it is optional. This essay will discuss the different points of view and arguments for and against obligatory service in countries.

 Many believe that compulsory service should be applied in militaries. Firstly, it is argued that freedom is one of the most important causes that forces people to fight. Preserving freedom, which is the vital aspect of the national sovereignty, means that countries should be more concerned about improving their military capabilities so that they are adequately prepared when they are faced with potential emergency. Therefore, application of compulsory military service is essential (Sheikh Mohammed, 2014). It would appear to some people that this might be an appropriate way to create a strong relationship between individuals in a society, especially in nations which consist of many ethnicities. For instance, compulsory service has been abolished in Iraq since 2003, thus the current Iraqi army consists only of certain Iraqi sects, whilst the others were neglected. As a result, many people dislike the army and do not support it. Other people think that compulsory military service might provide an enormous amount of benefits for individuals who attend such service, such as improving their physical fitness and teaching them a set of useful skills besides provide them with a good source of income.  

However, there are also arguments against compulsory service in armies which suggests that the government should focus exclusively on voluntary service. First of all, not all people are ready to become a part of a war environment, for example disabled people and scientists. Furthermore, compulsory service may cause harm to the minds of scientists, or it may hinder their creative abilities, even though the government could benefit from them scientifically in many aspects of life. Secondly, it is clear that most volunteers are more serious about their work than those in compulsory service. Consequently, the volunteers' hard work with suitable logistical support will lead to an increase in the ability and efficiency of militaries. Some critics state that we should not base the defence only on voluntary service, but also focus on the national economic force to preserve lives safely and freely in their countries. They add that Japanese economy is an appropriate example that proves this point. These arguments provide strong evidence that applying compulsory military service is unsuitable decision.