drafted. . . just like that

[nickel]

this guy i know from Singapore:


So I got a letter today...

The Enlistment Act (Chapter 93).

Enlistment Notice (Operationally Ready National Service)

You are hereby required under Section 10 of the Enlistment Act (Chap 93) to report for enlistment on 09 Dec 2005 at 0830 to 1st BATTALION SINGAPORE GUARDS.


Guards are basically your heliborne/fast strike infantry.

Studies have to be put on hold till this is over Damn what a waste of 2 years. Be glad you dont have a draft.

an active draft scares me. we are lucky we don't have one here.

[psycho-]

Yep, singapore has military conscription for 2 years for all able-bodied mentally-capable males over the age of 18.

[wung]

doe south korea have that too? i vaguely recall that in "My Sassy Girl" ...

[psycho-]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscription

Countries with mandatory military service
Austria, Belarus, Bermuda, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile , China (PRC), Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Eritrea ,Finland , Germany, Greece, Israel , Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico , Norway , Poland , Romania, Russia , Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan (ROC) , Turkey , Ukraine, Venezuela,

[bachviet]

Most countries in the world have mandatory military services for men. The US is one of the few with a "professional" Armed Forces (voluntary).

[ArkiStan]

I spent the past 3.5 years serving my country in accordance with S.Korea's mandatory military service. Yes it sucks. At least I knew it was coming.

[ShawnLee]

I spent the past 3.5 years serving my country in accordance with S.Korea's mandatory military service. Yes it sucks. At least I knew it was coming.I thought you were a US citizen, or at least a Permanent Resident. Please tell me it was at least with a decent unit or you were a KATUSA.

[Houdini]

an active draft scares me. we are lucky we don't have one here.

Me too, in a way, as I'm draftable until I'm 50 or so (damn MD). But many feel that mandatory military training is actually good for a country. It can build a strong sense of responsibility and force you to understand that the freedoms we enjoy didn't and don't come so freely.

I've regretted at times not joining the armed forces, though they would have payed for med school, etc.

If a draft were imposed, many I know would flee to Canada or wherever. Not me. I'd serve my country without a doubt. In the meantime, I'll just keep working in VA hospitals (if they ever get the one in N.O. open again!)

[ArkiStan]

I thought you were a US citizen, or at least a Permanent Resident. Please tell me it was at least with a decent unit or you were a KATUSA.

As a Korean, you can fulfill your service requirements in as little as 2 years by serving as a soldier/airman, etc. My service was much longer because I was an officer. A liaison officer for the ROK Air Force, Joint US Military Affairs Group (JUSMAG-K) to be more specific. I guess I took the longer, but more "scenic" route. It wasn't really a gruelling job -- mostly interpreting for conferences and paper pushing. I think I gained good experience in both dealing with authoritative superiors and effectively leading and communicating with men under my command. Most of all, I had more freedom/time/authority to do stuff that was meaningful for my civilian life. After work hours, I had time to take grad school classes for credit and prepare my applications for grad school in the US after I separated(that's what I'm doing in NY now). I know it's honorable to serve one's country and I try my best to think positively of the things I gained, but spending one's golden years (25-28) on something not voluntary can also be extremely disheartening to say the least.

[ShawnLee]

As a Korean, you can fulfill your service requirements in as little as 2 years by serving as a soldier/airman, etc. My service was much longer because I was an officer. A liaison officer for the ROK Air Force, Joint US Military Affairs Group (JUSMAG-K) to be more specific. I guess I took the longer, but more "scenic" route. It wasn't really a gruelling job -- mostly interpreting for conferences and paper pushing. I think I gained good experience in both dealing with authoritative superiors and effectively leading and communicating with men under my command. Most of all, I had more freedom/time/authority to do stuff that was meaningful for my civilian life. After work hours, I had time to take grad school classes for credit and prepare my applications for grad school in the US after I separated(that's what I'm doing in NY now). I know it's honorable to serve one's country and I try my best to think positively of the things I gained, but spending one's golden years (25-28) on something not voluntary can also be extremely disheartening to say the least.Oh! Ok, I know someone who did the exact same thing! He graduated from Emory, if I remember correctly. Maybe you even knew him. Still, I haven't met many Koreans who've graduated stateside and gone back to do it.

[nickel]

Me too, in a way, as I'm draftable until I'm 50 or so (damn MD). But many feel that mandatory military training is actually good for a country. It can build a strong sense of responsibility and force you to understand that the freedoms we enjoy didn't and don't come so freely.

I've regretted at times not joining the armed forces, though they would have payed for med school, etc.

If a draft were imposed, many I know would flee to Canada or wherever. Not me. I'd serve my country without a doubt. In the meantime, I'll just keep working in VA hospitals (if they ever get the one in N.O. open again!)
fleeing to Canada is cowardly. if i were male and drafted i wouldn't even consider it.

[ialsohaveadream]

fleeing to Canada is cowardly. if i were male and drafted i wouldn't even consider it.
If someone has religious or moral objections to violence and war, it's not cowardly. Was Muhammad Ali a coward for not going to Vietnam when he got drafted?

[sbp]

If someone has religious or moral objections to violence and war, it's not cowardly.She didn't say that.
Was Muhammad Ali a coward for not going to Vietnam when he got drafted?Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali didn't flee to Canada.

[ialsohaveadream]

Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali didn't flee to Canada.
I didn't say that he did. I meant that he didn't serve because of religious/moral objections. I don't think that's cowardly.

[nickel]

If someone has religious or moral objections to violence and war, it's not cowardly. Was Muhammad Ali a coward for not going to Vietnam when he got drafted?
possibly.

funny you bring that up as i remember reading about it not too long ago.
it seems it may not have been over the fact he was a conscientious objector due to the fact he become involved with the Muslim religion after becoming the heavyweight boxing champ.
for Ali has said this:

His religion may have given him the strength to refuse the draft, to endure the criticism, and to watch the prime years of his career slip away. But his real motivation in standing against the government, Ali says, was to protest the way it treated black Americans. "If it was about helping blacks," he said of the Vietnam War, while we strolled from the sunlit porch to a casual lunch, "I would have gone in a minute."
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/doubleissue/heroes/ali.htm

[ialsohaveadream]

possibly.

funny you bring that up as i remember reading about it not too long ago.
it seems it may not have been over the fact he was a conscientious objector due to the fact he become involved with the Muslim religion after becoming the heavyweight boxing champ.
for Ali has said this:

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/doubleissue/heroes/ali.htm
Just because he had no problems boxing people in a controlled setting doesn't mean he should be completely fine with shooting and killing someone.

Secondly, I've never really thought Ali's objection was religious as much as it was moral. His morals prevented him from fighting for a country where he was treated as a second-class citizen. To paraphrase what he said, "No VC has ever called me a ******."

[nickel]

Just because he had no problems boxing people in a controlled setting doesn't mean he should be completely fine with shooting and killing someone.

Secondly, I've never really thought Ali's objection was religious as much as it was moral. His morals prevented him from fighting for a country where he was treated as a second-class citizen. To paraphrase what he said, "No VC has ever called me a ******."
it's fine if you want to sympathize with him. i was just showing you that he didn't draft dodge because of religious beliefs.

[Yossarian]

if i get drafted, i'll go if the war is just. if i get drafted because of a war that was unnessecary, i'm going to Canada

[Grimm]

fleeing to Canada is cowardly. if i were male and drafted i wouldn't even consider it.
I disagree. It's easy to just get drafted into the military, serve your time and then get out. Running to Canada is dangerous in that if they catch you, you are screwed. Also the fact that most likely you can never return home.
Being a citizen of the United States of America requires that you make yourself heard. It doesn't stop at the voting booth. If a war is clearly moraly objectionable it's a citizens responsability to avoid supporting it. Just make sure you are right...

I'm not going to be drafted. I already served voluntarily. I joined out of high school. Like my father did and his father before him. I chose to serve my country and fought my war. I feel it's every citizen's duty to serve in some way. As I joined voluntarily I would not even consider heading to Canada, just as I would expect our current volunteer force to serve loyaly. But people have to chose to serve this country. Some serve by calling BS on our government and making a run for it. I can respect that. Living on the run is not easy, they took the hard choice. There is no guarentee that Canada is going to accept them and let them stay.

[ialsohaveadream]

it's fine if you want to sympathize with him. i was just showing you that he didn't draft dodge because of religious beliefs.
Understood. That's why I included moral, because not all values are based in religion.