Well, there are other needs, but are you equating combat or otherwise being in a war zone with doing paperwork stateside? If so, what's the difference between paying taxes and working private vs working for the govt?
Even people working for private companies "pay" for the wars. Maybe it's an education issue for all groups.
In WWII, for instance, people that weren't in the military contributed to the war effort by working in factories, for instance.
I think, Jim, you have taken a point of view which is outside the intent of my suggestion. Certainly, older people who were unsuitable for military service…. worked in factories. Some younger people did also…who were not fit for military service of the period such as young women. (and those factories profited hugely from that war-time production…. a subject suitable for a separate discussion, IMO.) Our ENEMIES certainly found a way to employ certain groups of people in war-time-production, Heh?**
The military/public service I intended by my earlier suggestion was directed toward young people of military-age… and ability.…who are not already employed in a service of benefit to the Country….. (as opposed to benefit of corporations or primarily only themselves.)
Although there are other ways of developing such a system, …. one scenario which I envision, based upon the world which existed during the time of MY age of military usefulness…. would be:
Upon graduation of High School, every young person not already accepted at an institution of higher-learning or specialized vocation…. would be obligated for 2 years of military service…. or 4 years of alternative public service…(such as Peace Corps, Habitat for Humanity, CCC, or similar, specifically identified activities)…. upon completion of which that person would be awarded tuition-free an identical period of attendance at an institution of higher learning or vocation.
The H.S. graduates who ARE accepted at such institutions, upon completing that activity, would be obligated for an identical amount of time in military or identified pubic-service.
Those graduates who are aimed at still-higher goals (such as medicine, science, law, etc) will owe a similar amount of time toward military/public service in the same profession ….(which would address those needs in the military and public sectors.)
Not only would this help turn the institutions of higher learning back into their claimed goals….(instead of being depositories and training-grounds for millionaire-athletes and playgrounds for spawn-of-the-wealthy)…. it would bring the level of American society up toward the goal of a fine and worthy republic that we all anticipated when we were young and visionary.
I believe this would prove beneficial to the country as well as the individuals who normally are not well oriented at that age-group anyway, and would provide valuable training and discipline and sense of personal worth, not to mention personal training critical to National Security. (Like Switzerland, sending them home with suitable equipment ’to be maintained and regularly inspected for meeting that Security, )
It would not only provide meaningful vocational training for everyone but also help rid the public of downstream defective and aberrant behavior such as vagrancy and homelessness.
Yes, I’m certain such a short description by necessity is simplified….and therefore subject to a knee-jerk response of criticism…. but as my Daddy used to say, “Instead of just criticizing it, …Why don’t you come up with a way to improve it….?..)
** I am also inclined to believe that all legitimate prison populations should be employed in making such institutions self-supporting to get the prison system OFF the tax-dollar and AWAY from the privatized/corporate prison business……and avoid the production of customer-convenience items which compete with private industry retail items….which competes with the private worker who is earning a living. Prisoners who can provide genuine service in any on-going war-time production could be rewarded in “time served” reduction only. But I‘d hate to see this little “asterisk-addendum” to detract from the main topic of discussion.
