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Military Draft Essay

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Does Your Country Need You: The Military Draft in America
Would you be willing to drop everything right now and join the military? Thousands of men were troubled with this question in the twentieth century. The United States draft, also called conscription, was first used during the Civil War but later used in WWI, WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Napoleon was the first general to use the modern draft. In 1940 FDR signed the Training Service Act of 1940 starting the first formal draft in the United States, but in 1973 congress decided to have an all-volunteer military. President Carter decided to resume the draft in 1980 due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Today the draft is not used but the US still requires its 18-year-old …show more content…

When draftees are tested only eighty percent score average or above average while 99 percent of volunteers scored average or above on the standardized military test (Jehn, 2). Recruits score higher on enlistment tests when an all-volunteer force is used. Also, not all people have the personality it takes to serve in the military. Some people are meant to do other jobs like and teaching and farming. The US will also have a shortage of expertise if a draft is put into place. When an all-volunteer military is in place, the military is able to obtain workers that specialize in specific areas such as medicine and military strategists. With a drafted force, soldiers come to the base, the soldiers are trained, the soldiers fight, and then they are honorably discharged. While an all-volunteer force is in place, soldiers must stay for the required time they need to serve due to requirements of that branch of the military. While soldiers are serving this period of time, they are able to specialize in a field. The US should have an all-volunteer military because people that are volunteering have a better knowledge than a draftee that has never considered the military. Previous studies show that volunteer soldiers out perform drafted

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