First, strategically, Canada does not have a pressing need for a large military to secure their borders.

Originally Posted by asma18

yes it is 25 yrs since I was in, hang the political corectnes and their civil liberties, make it a national priority, teach the future generations that a type of national service MUST be taken. The Swiss the Swedes have it and with what we have only a few hundred miles to our north we need it. They either conform or put them repairing the tullami track for their two years.Lets see them walk out of there.

How do you propose to "hang" PC and civil liberties? These are entrenched traits in today's society. Like I said before, why do you think things like the ADFA Skype scandal keep happening? Even after multiple reviews, orders from the CDF and Service Chiefs and annual "equity and diversity" training. It's because kids these days think that it's their "right" to pick and choose which rules to obey. And these are the ones who *volunteered* to join the ADF. Conscripts would be a farking nightmare. Training NCOs would spend most of their time in court defending their actions in trying to train these people.

Lets' face it, dragging mummy's little darling away kicking and screaming is political suicide. No party will touch it. Do you think the Greens would be in favour of it? Doubtful. And they're pulling Juliar's strings at the moment.

Originally Posted by Chief Bones

I can't tell you just how much I disagree with you. During the Vietnam War, 6 out of 10 if my comrades were drafted AND I DIDN'T HAVE EVEN A SINGLE PROBLEM WITH THEM COVERING MY SIX.

Americans are just a little funny ... put them to the test, and 99.999% of the time, they will come through.

We disagree and you might be right. Society has changed a lot since the Vietnam War. I have seen the problems that people, who voluntarily joined the military and realize the Army is not for them, cause their units. If military service was mandatory, the number of those types would increase a lot.

When some blighter is trying to kill you then you soon learn who your friends are, and you become a tight little team who look after each other no matter what or where ever you go.

The 'German' Army was not defeated at Stalingrad. What happend was as the fighting got tough between the two North European nations the 6th Army ran out of Germans ( the old, old story ) and its flanks had to be protected by Hungarians ( not so bad ) and for Christsake Romanians! And that's where the Ivans attacked and since no army can be fully supplied by air ( that's why Germany would never have invaded England even if it wanted to - Operation Sealion was about pulling the wool over the Ruskies' eyes ) the result was a foregone conclusion.
What's that to do with conscript Canada. Canada is a multi-ethnic nation, a conscript army would 'fold' in the same way. This does not apply to an army of volunteers.

Originally Posted by Jonny Reb

The 'German' Army was not defeated at Stalingrad. What happend was as the fighting got tough between the two North European nations the 6th Army ran out of Germans ( the old, old story ) and its flanks had to be protected by Hungarians ( not so bad ) and for Christsake Romanians! And that's where the Ivans attacked and since no army can be fully supplied by air ( that's why Germany would never have invaded England even if it wanted to - Operation Sealion was about pulling the wool over the Ruskies' eyes ) the result was a foregone conclusion.
What's that to do with conscript Canada. Canada is a multi-ethnic nation, a conscript army would 'fold' in the same way. This does not apply to an army of volunteers.

The British Army during WW1 and WW2 was made up of regular, territorial army troops and other reservists. As loses mounted more and more conscripts went to the front especially towards the end of both wars. Korea, Suez, Malaya and Borneo again were regular, territorial army troops, other reservists and conscripts. Conscripts were as good as their regular and TA counter parts, and they certainly didn't fold.

LeEnfield was a conscript, ask him how many of his mates folded.

I was drafted for National Service and had to fulfil my statutory time within it. I was groomed and taught within an environment that provided firm boundaries with institutional qualities. I learned discipline, hardship and survival. Skills, such as basic cleanliness and working within a team, whatever their personalities and forbouys were, gave people foundations that they carried forward into later life.

I often hear older people say how beneficial this experience was for them and how, on reflection, they valued and enjoyed their experience – however reluctant they felt whilst serving out their National Service or draft.

Much of my experience was based around war. I have seen a lot of blood shed and suffering. I have, indeed, seen human behaviour at its worst and best. Learning to deal with these situations created very mixed emotions, from pain to relief and happiness. The experience of emotional diversity had given me a measure for future reference to draw upon.

It is our young people that lack experience, empathy and compassion that are my concern. In the Western World, we are consumed with the desire for ‘stuff’. Our young people want the latest computer consoles, games and mobile phones. They surround themselves with items, all wanting to be the first to own the latest fad so as they can impress their friends.

This ingrained behaviour demonstrates that many of our young people are selfish and self absorbed. The owning of such ‘stuff’ can make people isolated in many ways and, although they read about hardship and they play games associated with all social issues, it doesn’t compare with reality.

Each passing generation produces teenagers who are more and more brazen, disrespectful, lazy and ill-qualified for success in the real world. Thus, our society becomes more dangerous, depleted and dishonest every year. Conscription, when handled properly, can be an asset to the military, the society and the conscript. Mandatory military service may seem too drastic or impractical to implement, but it is a legitimate idea that deserves a fair discussion and open debate

Opa I'd be interested in your view of the Swiss model of a very small standing Army and the rest reservists.

Originally Posted by BritinAfrica

Opa I'd be interested in your view of the Swiss model of a very small standing Army and the rest reservists.

Switzerland that has thought out a system of military service which imposes little burden on the national exchequer and no burden at all on the national content, and which is yet withal highly efficient. Under this system the active Swiss Army on a peace footing numbers about 150,000 men. The trained army that could be called out for service represents practically the total of the male population. Training for military service is looked upon not as a burden but as a pleasure by the citizens, and many of their voluntary sports are designed so as to assist the work of military education.

Between the ages of 16 and 20, when military service begins, there is preparatory military instruction, comprising physical training, gymnastic exercises, marching, obstacle racing, simple drill, the use of the rifle. In the year before he attains 20 the youth is enrolled by the Cantonal authorities (in his commune or place of domicile) as a recruit —the canton being subdivided into recruiting districts —and is fitted out with uniform and equipment, and in the year in which he attains 20 the recruit becomes liable to military service and presents himself for instruction at recruit schools, beginning either about March 15, May 1, or July 1, as directed. All soldiers, whatever the rank they are destined for, pass through the recruit schools. The soldier on completion of recruit school is considered as having entered the Army. As a soldier of the Army he has to attend an annual training camp.

This is really a well-trained home defence force under a militia system that in some respects even surpasses all other armies in its readiness for war, for of no other military force in Europe can it be stated that the establishment in personnel is the same both for peace and war, and there is certainly no other country, that I am aware of, were a fourth of it’s army is annually mobilised for manoeuvres on exactly the same scale of equipment and transport as it would be for actual warfare.

It is a system which is perfectly designed for Swiss conditions. Their neutrality, geography, history and mentality, but it is a purely defensive military system.

You gonna ever have a situation where the Schweizer Deutsche are in the centre doing all the fighting ( the origional Vatican Guard was drawn from German Cantons only ) supported on the flanks by the French and Italian Cantons - I know where I would attack!