Does anyone believe that the re-introduction of National Service in the UK would sort out today's kids? I'd be interested to hear the view of active servicemen, as to whether the forces have been a positive as regards their personal development. Is NS still in force in the USA? Or other nations, come to that?
National Service for UK Youth!
- Thread starter velvetgoldmine
- Start date
100% behind you,need to do something to straight out today youth, my son joined the black watch as a 16 years old boy left as a 22 year old man, 2 stints in iraq left me and his mum a nervous wreck but the army made him what he is today.
would suggest this would be ideal for some of todays youth who seem to enjoy carrying knives. well guess what they could carry as many as they want in iraq/afghanistan, see how brave they are then
would suggest this would be ideal for some of todays youth who seem to enjoy carrying knives. well guess what they could carry as many as they want in iraq/afghanistan, see how brave they are then
There is no national service in Australia, but would support the introduction 100%. It can do alot of good for youth. For some it could improve their self esteem and get them out of bad situations when they are seperated from the wrong crowd. I think it would teach them respect and discipline.
I don’t believe we have anything like that in the US, but you can join the military at the age of 17 with your parents’ permission.
As far as the Military and who I am today, outside of my Mother, there are two major factors. The Boy Scouts and the Military.
To the first, Scouts fostered in me my sense of the way things should be and how I should conduct myself as a man.
Joining the Military taught me about how things really are as well as a lot about who I am.
Scouting = Theory
Military = Application
I appologize if this is a bit short or vague, the full version of this requires more writing then I have time for at the current moment.
As far as the Military and who I am today, outside of my Mother, there are two major factors. The Boy Scouts and the Military.
To the first, Scouts fostered in me my sense of the way things should be and how I should conduct myself as a man.
Joining the Military taught me about how things really are as well as a lot about who I am.
Scouting = Theory
Military = Application
I appologize if this is a bit short or vague, the full version of this requires more writing then I have time for at the current moment.
- Thread starter
- #5
I was also in the Boy Scouts and, on reflection, it certainly gave me direction, and kept me out of a whole load of trouble I could have otherwise been involved in!
scouts got me in to waaaay more trouble then they kept me out of.
...must have been my troop
...must have been my troop
For the record I would like to point out that I never said anything about Scouting keeping me out of trouble... 
the girl guides met in the hall behind yours at the same time too?
In the State Forest our Scout camp was at there is also a Girl Scout camp about 20 miles by road or much closer though the woods...
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...and that is how I got put in charge of the Field Sports area to teach Orienteering merit badge.
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...and that is how I got put in charge of the Field Sports area to teach Orienteering merit badge.
- Thread starter
- #10
There is mandatory Military Service in Israel, and both of my daughters stepped-up and served in the IDF (Israel Defense Forces), when called; older daughter did a 3-year stint as an officer, younger daughter did 2-years as an enlisted soldier (young men serve 3-years).
As an immigrant with 5-years prior-service in the US Army, I attended the Artillery School in June/July 1984, and then served 1-2 months each year in the IDF "reserves", until age 49 (years with 2-months reserve duty were during our active involvement in Lebanon).
Many young Israeli women are Orthodox, and many of them perform National Service (non-military) for 2-years.
My basic-training cycle (9-12/1971, Ft. Ord, CA) was the last one with draftees; subsequent cycles were VOLAR (VOLunteer ARmy) enlistees. On the whole, the "draft" gave us a much more heterogeneous group of soldiers, while VOLAR was more homogeneous (read: minority and non-US citizens).
Some wanted to "test" themselves through combat, others wanted to learn a skill/trade; I enlisted for "three hots and a cot". Motivation is immaterial; service for one's country, together with the social leveling of a heterogeneous force, are what count in the long-run.
YMMV
As an immigrant with 5-years prior-service in the US Army, I attended the Artillery School in June/July 1984, and then served 1-2 months each year in the IDF "reserves", until age 49 (years with 2-months reserve duty were during our active involvement in Lebanon).
Many young Israeli women are Orthodox, and many of them perform National Service (non-military) for 2-years.
My basic-training cycle (9-12/1971, Ft. Ord, CA) was the last one with draftees; subsequent cycles were VOLAR (VOLunteer ARmy) enlistees. On the whole, the "draft" gave us a much more heterogeneous group of soldiers, while VOLAR was more homogeneous (read: minority and non-US citizens).
Some wanted to "test" themselves through combat, others wanted to learn a skill/trade; I enlisted for "three hots and a cot". Motivation is immaterial; service for one's country, together with the social leveling of a heterogeneous force, are what count in the long-run.
YMMV
I am and always have supported a mandatory "National Service" institution. Now that I am a father, soon to be twice over, I am still as much of a supporter as I've ever been. I should have enlisted as soon as I got out of high school in 1999, but instead, I listened to my parents, who promptly shipped me the the University of Tennessee.
Begin Rant.
Let's see let him serve his country, learn a useful skill, and do something that he will be proud of, or disregard his plan of attending a community college until he figures out what he wants to do or military service, send him to a school that he doesn't want to attend, a school that was rated the #1 party school in the country at that time, and wonder why he didn't do well academicly. I learned a lot though.
End Rant.
Begin Rant.
Let's see let him serve his country, learn a useful skill, and do something that he will be proud of, or disregard his plan of attending a community college until he figures out what he wants to do or military service, send him to a school that he doesn't want to attend, a school that was rated the #1 party school in the country at that time, and wonder why he didn't do well academicly. I learned a lot though.
End Rant.
I've always been surprised that the Boys Brigade isn't bigger in the US.
I do not think we should have National Service. Things have changed a lot since the 1960's.
The Daily Mail is full of letters and articles stating that National Service would 'sort out' the yobs and hooligans. If a person is violent, ill-mannered, ignorant, lazy and unpleasant then I do not believe that other service-people should have to train or serve with them. Also do we really want to have that sort of person armed and patrolling the streets of Belfast/Baghdad/Kabul?
I think a volunteer professional armed service is the best way for Britain. Also surely the cost of National Service would be enormous.
The Daily Mail is full of letters and articles stating that National Service would 'sort out' the yobs and hooligans. If a person is violent, ill-mannered, ignorant, lazy and unpleasant then I do not believe that other service-people should have to train or serve with them. Also do we really want to have that sort of person armed and patrolling the streets of Belfast/Baghdad/Kabul?
I think a volunteer professional armed service is the best way for Britain. Also surely the cost of National Service would be enormous.
Maybe we should have a poll?
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yhN1IDLQjo[/YOUTUBE]
... or two polls??
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yhN1IDLQjo[/YOUTUBE]
... or two polls??
Whenever I hear the mention of National Service it reminds me of this from 'Yes, Minister'
Sir Humphrey: "You know what happens: nice young lady comes up to you. Obviously you want to create a good impression, you don't want to look a fool, do you? So she starts asking you some questions: Mr. Woolley, are you worried about the number of young people without jobs?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Are you worried about the rise in crime among teenagers?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Do you think there is a lack of discipline in our Comprehensive schools?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Do you think young people welcome some authority and leadership in their lives?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Do you think they respond to a challenge?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Would you be in favour of reintroducing National Service?"
Bernard Woolley: "Oh...well, I suppose I might be."
Sir Humphrey: "Yes or no?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Of course you would, Bernard. After all you told you can't say no to that. So they don't mention the first five questions and they publish the last one."
Bernard Woolley: "Is that really what they do?"
Sir Humphrey: "Well, not the reputable ones no, but there aren't many of those. So alternatively the young lady can get the opposite result."
Bernard Woolley: "How?"
Sir Humphrey: "Mr. Woolley, are you worried about the danger of war?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Are you worried about the growth of armaments?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Do you think there is a danger in giving young people guns and teaching them how to kill?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Do you think it is wrong to force people to take up arms against their will?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Would you oppose the reintroduction of National Service?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "There you are, you see Bernard. The perfect balanced sample."
Sir Humphrey: "You know what happens: nice young lady comes up to you. Obviously you want to create a good impression, you don't want to look a fool, do you? So she starts asking you some questions: Mr. Woolley, are you worried about the number of young people without jobs?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Are you worried about the rise in crime among teenagers?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Do you think there is a lack of discipline in our Comprehensive schools?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Do you think young people welcome some authority and leadership in their lives?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Do you think they respond to a challenge?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Would you be in favour of reintroducing National Service?"
Bernard Woolley: "Oh...well, I suppose I might be."
Sir Humphrey: "Yes or no?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Of course you would, Bernard. After all you told you can't say no to that. So they don't mention the first five questions and they publish the last one."
Bernard Woolley: "Is that really what they do?"
Sir Humphrey: "Well, not the reputable ones no, but there aren't many of those. So alternatively the young lady can get the opposite result."
Bernard Woolley: "How?"
Sir Humphrey: "Mr. Woolley, are you worried about the danger of war?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Are you worried about the growth of armaments?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Do you think there is a danger in giving young people guns and teaching them how to kill?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Do you think it is wrong to force people to take up arms against their will?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Would you oppose the reintroduction of National Service?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "There you are, you see Bernard. The perfect balanced sample."
I admit I haven't given the subject a great deal of thought, but it seems like most people want to introduce national service to cure the symptoms, not the underlying problems these young people have, and have had throughout their lives. Finding ways to give kids a direction in life from an earlier age sounds like a better solution. Just a thought... 
