Obama's Chief of Staff Promoting Mandatory Defense Training

It's been almost 15 years now since I left Germany, so I can't really speak about todays troops, but I would point out, that again stats can be misleading. an overweight army chef or motorpool sergeant, or any other non combat position would be counted into that 40%. I would be willing to bet that the troops that train to fight are not overweight.
also, who cares if they are smokers... until the pc police attacked it mercilessly, most armies were full of smokers.

Funny the posters here that are so dead set against Bush's tapping lines of people of interest because it violated their rights. Now think forcing people to serve is not such a bad idea.

What utter bollocks! Where are you getting your numbers from? I was part of the UK's volunteer force, and there's about another 60 countries where it's volunteer only.

Please post proof or stop making idiotic statements.

Volunteer military - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volunteer_military)

:rant:

As for the Bundeswehr:

German Army Drinks and Smokes Too Much, Ombudsman Says | Germany | Deutsche Welle | 04.03.2008 (http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3167049,00.html)


Reinhold Robbe's 2008 report, which he presented to his employer, the German parliament, on Tuesday, March 4, said that more than 40 percent of the country's soldiers were overweight and over 70 percent were regular smokers. Sports often played a minor role in the army, and the soldiers' physical abilities were alarming, the ombudsman said. The German army was suffering from the effects of a passive lifestyle.

Sorry, I meant the only Big Army that does not enforce conscription.
Military service - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service)

I didn't know that the UK had a force. I thought that you guys fell in line with Iceland...My bad. It's a Joke

All kidding aside, most of the Mojor military powers have mandatory conscription.

My point, out of this list, which Armies are major World powers?


2.1 Argentina (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Argentina) 2.2 Australia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Australia) 2.3 Belgium (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Belgium) 2.4 Belize (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Belize) 2.5 Bosnia and Herzegovina (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Bosnia_and_Herzegovina) 2.6 Bulgaria (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Bulgaria) 2.7 Canada (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Canada) 2.8 Costa Rica (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Costa_Rica) 2.9 Croatia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Croatia) 2.10 Czech Republic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Czech_Republic) 2.11 France (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#France) 2.12 Hungary (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Hungary) <2.13 India (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#India) 2.14 Iraq (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Iraq) 2.15 Republic of Ireland (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Republic_of_Ireland) 2.16 Italy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Italy) 2.17 Jamaica (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Jamaica) 2.18 Japan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Japan) 2.19 Latvia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Latvia) 2.20 Lebanon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Lebanon) 2.21 Luxembourg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Luxembourg) 2.22 Republic of Macedonia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Republic_of_Macedonia) 2.23 Montenegro (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Montenegro) 2.24 Morocco (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Morocco) 2.25 Netherlands (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Netherlands) 2.26 New Zealand (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#New_Zealand) 2.27 Pakistan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Pakistan) 2.28 Panama (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Panama) 2.29 Peru (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Peru) 2.30 Philippines (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Philippines) 2.31 Portugal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Portugal) 2.32 Romania (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Romania) 2.33 Slovakia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Slovakia) 2.34 Slovenia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Slovenia) 2.35 South Africa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#South_Africa) 2.36 Spain (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Spain) 2.37 Tanzania (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Tanzania) 2.38 United Kingdom (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#United_Kingdom) 2.39 United States (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#United_States)
If you answered the UK and the U.S., then you are correct. Hell, Iraq just got put on this list. So, forgive my previous exaggeration when I said that we were the only all volunteer Army.

Edit: I know that the UK is not part of the US, but I have fought alongside those guys before and sometimes I fail to differentiate between the 2. Yes, they are an all volunteer force, an some damn good comrades, especially when they perform all of their "Man Tests"...hilarious. You guys never passed the chewing tobacco test though, you guys aren't used to dip and you would prove it every time you vomit.

Having people serve that do not want to be there does more harm than good and thats what makes our Arm Forces so great and strong. With that said what would we do if someone refuses to serve? Throw them in jail?

Having people serve that do not want to be there does more harm than good and thats what makes our Arm Forces so great and strong. With that said what would we do if someone refuses to serve? Throw them in jail?

Hmmmm...Enlist or go to jail? Now where have I heard that before? JK

I believe that is what mandatory conscription countries do... or they kill them.

I do not know why we are still talking about this, it is obvious that everyone has a different opinion. I call truce...I am not going to convince anyone that conscription is good, and no one can convince me that it is a bad thing. Agree to disagree.

The bleeding hearts in the United States would never allow it to happen anyway. You guys are safe to wander through life aimlessly, smoking your dope, barely getting by in college with no disciplne or direction. It's cool, because it is your right and there will always be people that will volunteer to serve and maintain those rights for you.

I concede...

Angry, I'm with you on your general sentiment. Recent generations seems to be lazy and selfish. I don't know how you get back to a better sense of community and service.

Of course I'm a grumpy old bastard that keeps the kids ball when it comes over the fence.....

Angry, I'm with you on your general sentiment. Recent generations seems to be lazy and selfish. I don't know how you get back to a better sense of community and service.

Of course I'm a grumpy old bastard that keeps the kids ball when it comes over the fence.....
I know 3 kids that have joined the service in the last 2 years and 2 of them served in Iraq. These kids come from middle income families and did not do it because they had to but because they wanted to. I myself did not serve so that makes me lazy, selfish, wandering through life aimlessly, and with no discipline or direction?

I know 3 kids that have joined the service in the last 2 years and 2 of them served in Iraq. These kids come from middle income families and did not do it because they had to but because they wanted to. I myself did not serve so that makes me lazy, selfish, wandering through life aimlessly, and with no discipline or direction?

Dude............we're only talking about a couple of months dude! You need to relax! I mean, you should consider this as a part of patriotism. As part of a service to your country. As part of keeping your democracy AND YOUR freedoms preserved for future generations. What if our next President takes a vacation and decides to NOT read the security report because he's to busy chasing hedge hogs into holes? We don't want another 9/11/01, but you, no we, need to be ready if there is one.

And its only a couple of months dude! Relax!

Dude............we're only talking about a couple of months dude! You need to relax! I mean, you should consider this as a part of patriotism. As part of a service to your country. As part of keeping your democracy AND YOUR freedoms preserved for future generations. What if our next President takes a vacation and decides to NOT read the security report because he's to busy chasing hedge hogs into holes? We don't want another 9/11/01, but you, no we, need to be ready if there is one.

And its only a couple of months dude! Relax!
How is training guys for three months going to stop another 9/11. Are we going to make these guys fly around on every jet taking off? We have more than enough guys serving this country (3 million) if we really needed we could pull them from all parts of the world.

Ok I'll ask again, wasn't this this taken from an interview with Emanuel in 2006? Is there any current info on this??