You make a good point about needing a larger military to be viable force in the world. A militia simply would not be competative against professional armies in other nations. America has created a strong, ethical, and professional military. The military structure now is far better than a militia concept. Could you imagine if upon deciding to invade Iraq we had a bunch of untrained hillbillies grab their shotguns, jump on planes, and head off to war? The professional structure of our Military is Certainly a Plus.
As far as mandatory basic training I have to disagree with you. I see your point in wishing to instill patriotism in the youth, but I believe there are draw backs to this.
The current ALL VOLUNTEER FORCE is far superior to any military structure in the past. During Vietnam, individuals were drafted and forced to fight in a war they did not want to fight. These cowards behaved horribly and shamed the United States (I am talking about the people that did not want to go / not the true patriots). They commited war crimes like the My Lai massacre and destroyed the morale of the soldiers that actually wanted to defend their country. The current all volunteer force removes the cowards from the equation. It doesn't benefit our military force to have cowards in the fox holes with them. With an all volunteer force, the people that enlist are their because of something in their spirit, and they conduct themselves more honorably and create a much stronger military because of this.
I think our military structure is perfect the way it is now. The National Guard is still there for those who wish to participate in a militia type fashion, and of course there is the unorganized militia which is simply every America.
--"Anonymous"
As far as mandatory basic training I have to disagree with you. I see your point in wishing to instill patriotism in the youth, but I believe there are draw backs to this.
The current ALL VOLUNTEER FORCE is far superior to any military structure in the past. During Vietnam, individuals were drafted and forced to fight in a war they did not want to fight. These cowards behaved horribly and shamed the United States (I am talking about the people that did not want to go / not the true patriots). They commited war crimes like the My Lai massacre and destroyed the morale of the soldiers that actually wanted to defend their country. The current all volunteer force removes the cowards from the equation. It doesn't benefit our military force to have cowards in the fox holes with them. With an all volunteer force, the people that enlist are their because of something in their spirit, and they conduct themselves more honorably and create a much stronger military because of this.
I think our military structure is perfect the way it is now. The National Guard is still there for those who wish to participate in a militia type fashion, and of course there is the unorganized militia which is simply every America.
--"Anonymous"