Fight — and maybe die. Refuse to fight and get thrown in prison and labeled as a traitor.
These are the exact expectations placed upon the average citizen if the United States of America were to impose mandatory military service. In countries with mandatory military service like South Korea, Israel and Brazil, mandatory military service ranges from one year to up to two years and eight months. These countries are forced to implement mandatory military service because of low numbers of recruits or anticipated military tension.
Failure to give up bodily autonomy to one’s country before the end of the conscription age can result in jail time, heavy fines, travel restrictions and social consequences.
The repercussions of mandatory military service are vast, as many people return with traumas that are not only limited to physical but also mental, which often affect a person’s day-to-day life.
In South Korea, a country where military service is part of every person’s life, mental health decline is a growing problem.
A National Library of Medicine study found that mental disorders such as depression and anxiety were 1.3 times higher in South Korean young adult males who served in the military, than men of the same age with no military experience. Moreover, suicide ideation is 1.5 times more frequent in men serving in the military than men who are not in service.
Suicide is the leading cause of death among South Korean soldiers, responsible for over 70% of all deaths. The implementation of military service is detrimental to the mental health of soldiers.
These damages can also affect the lives of soldiers, even after completing their mandated service.
“There’s definitely a decrease in mental health,” said sophomore Dennis Zhan. “People also act differently, because you grow strict habits from [the] military.”
In terms of the United States of America, making military service mandatory would take several years and resources, which could be better spent making a more important change in people’s lives. As section one of the 13th Amendment of the United States of America’s Constitution states: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” This clearly asserts that mandatory military service is unconstitutional, as it is involuntary servitude without a punishment for a crime, as explained by the highest law of the country.
Many agree that it is unlawful and unjust to force someone to serve in the military.
“It’s immoral and unconstitutional,” said sophomore Thomas Wongsmith. “Personally, I think it’s just wrong to force people into something that could alter their life.”
Supporters of mandatory service argue that it builds discipline, unites citizens and strengthens national defense. However, forcing people to serve for their country can cause negative feelings towards its citizens and the country itself from within. Some also note that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1918, in the case Arver v. United States, that a military draft does not violate the 13th Amendment’s ban on involuntary servitude.
However, just because a practice is legal does not mean it is morally justifiable. If mandatory military service was not about controlling the population, but rather, about discipline and unity, it could be built through voluntary programs or expanded military incentives, without depriving young people of their right to decide their futures.
Mandatory military service is an insult to the English language. Forcing an individual to give up their bodily autonomy is not a service, but indentured servitude to the government. Framing it as an act of ‘service’ causes people to not scrutinize their governments for putting their citizens in harm’s way.
