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The military is indeed a great choice for many people: there non-combat roles like medical and IT, and besides college tuition it also guarantees stability, hou

The military is indeed a great choice for many people: there non-combat roles like medical and IT, and besides college tuition it also guarantees stability, housing, and income. But it can’t be the only opportunity for young people: - People with certain disabilities are disqualified, they don’t even have the choice. Not fair to them - Some people want careers which you don’t get in the military, including “useful” careers like science. Not fair to them, and they probably wouldn’t be good soldiers or Coast Guards anyways - Some people don’t want to join for ethical or ideological reasons, when you join you technically lose some of your Constitutional rights. This is 100% valid and they shouldn’t be pressured to join; and we probably don’t want non-committed people in the military anyways - The military has its flaws. There’s a lot of beurocracy and inefficiency, and some people don’t like the culture. A big contributor to the recruiting problem are the horror stories (albeit maybe rare) you’ll see in forums. Many people say that joining the military was the best choice of their lives, but many people deeply regret it. I don’t mind advocating for the military, but some people are better off going directly to college. And some of those people need scholarships, and college tuition is still unreasonably expensive.

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SenHeng 3y ago
> The military is indeed a great choice for many people: there non-combat roles like medical and IT Do you even get to select what role you want to get into? My (conscript) experience is that everyone first goes through Basic Military Training, then you get assigned somewhere randomly and that's basically it. You never get a choice. If you're lucky, you get assigned to an interesting unit, then you enlist and are set for the next 10 years. edit: The way the conscript system in Singapore works is 1. if you're 'highly' educated (highschool diploma equiv), you get a chance at becoming an officer. If you enlist, you get put on a career track (ie. set for life). 2. if you're 'technically' educated (tech/vocational diplma), you get a chance to be a technician or unit leader. You automatically become a sergeant after 1.5 years. If you enlist, you get to become a slightly higher ranked sergeant and eventually on course to become an NCO. 3. you're not educated so you're disposable cannon fodder (infantry). You're rejected for enlistment.
- lizardking 3y ago
  Yes. In the US you choose your military occupational specialty(MOS) before enlisting and that is where you will be assigned after you complete your training. Your eligibility for a given MOS is a function of how well you do on the entrance exam. A college degree is a requirement for becoming an officer.

deleted 3y ago

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SenHeng 3y ago

> The military is indeed a great choice for many people: there non-combat roles like medical and IT Do you even get to select what role you want to get into? My (conscript) experience is that everyone first goes through Basic Military Training, then you get assigned somewhere randomly and that's basically it. You never get a choice. If you're lucky, you get assigned to an interesting unit, then you enlist and are set for the next 10 years. edit: The way the conscript system in Singapore works is 1. if you're 'highly' educated (highschool diploma equiv), you get a chance at becoming an officer. If you enlist, you get put on a career track (ie. set for life). 2. if you're 'technically' educated (tech/vocational diplma), you get a chance to be a technician or unit leader. You automatically become a sergeant after 1.5 years. If you enlist, you get to become a slightly higher ranked sergeant and eventually on course to become an NCO. 3. you're not educated so you're disposable cannon fodder (infantry). You're rejected for enlistment.

lizardking 3y ago
Yes. In the US you choose your military occupational specialty(MOS) before enlisting and that is where you will be assigned after you complete your training. Your eligibility for a given MOS is a function of how well you do on the entrance exam. A college degree is a requirement for becoming an officer.