Mandatory Military Service

[Reburn]

Is this still true, in the age of AI and automation replacing labor.

yes

And is it sustainable in the long run?

No

It certainly has been successful in the past, but I don't think it's the only way, especially if evaluated on a per capita basis rather than total GDP basis.

Its not the only way but it is how our economy currently runs. There will be pain moving over. It will have to happen eventually though.

 

[String&stick]

Man. . . I remember back when the slide was more of a small government, laissez faire, don't tread on me type group.

Now we actively want to conscript kids to go do stuff they don't want to and set them back two years in their careers/retirement contributions. I can tell you where I'd tell you to go if I was 18.

More government is not the answer!

 

[roadrunner]

Is this still true, in the age of AI and automation replacing labor?

Same thing has been said before with the Industrial Revolution.

 

[ReaptheHeat]

Man. . . I remember back when the slide was more of a small government, laissez faire, don't tread on me type group.

Now we actively want to conscript kids to go do stuff they don't want to and set them back two years in their careers/retirement contributions. I can tell you where I'd tell you to go if I was 18.

More government is not the answer!

The daddy government stuff posted here and the warden thread is concerning.

 

[*zap*]

Mandatory military service is a great idea in a country where the majority of children are raised in a nuclear family and taught the meaning of right & wrong, yes and no and respect for others at a young age. Those children would then attend schools which continue to instill those values while focusing on actual education.
So, Mandatory military service is not a good idea for the majority of the USA. It might work well is sections of the country which are referred to by some as 'fly over country'.

 

[Dave_S]

I don't think that is correct. The director of the movie said he satirized his version based on what he saw as fascist elements of the novel, but that is his take. Again it was on all the Services reading list at one point.

No idea what the motive of the author was...but wouldn't a book critical of fascism be rather appropriate for something like the commandants reading list?

 

[Dave_S]

I've seen several posts mentioning the "highly paid" nature of military service. Considering the annual income pretax for an E-4 in the last year of their enlistment is ~40k, this feels inaccurate.

 

[Jpsmith1]

Y'all realize that Starship Troopers was written as a warning, not an instruction manual?

 

[Jpsmith1]

You realize that lots of those homeless folks are veterans right ???

Shhh. Don't be injecting facts into this fantasy.

We LOOOOVE our vets. We do EVERYTHING for them. Just ask a vet. They'll tell ya.

 

[wind gypsy]

Youth are starting to become awake about what runs our country compared to older generations seemingly.. Probably have some interesting results if you start forcing them to sacrifice and fight for International central bankers/Israel with the types of BS lies as justification being thrown out there over the past 2+ decades.

If we ever miraculously got leadership with a moral compass and the interests of everyday folks it might make more sense.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I've seen several posts mentioning the "highly paid" nature of military service. Considering the annual income pretax for an E-4 in the last year of their enlistment is ~40k, this feels inaccurate.

When I got drafted in 1963, I got $78 per month plus they fed me and gave me a bed to sleep in. I learned to not waste money......as I didn't have any to waste! I was engaged to my future wife when I got drafted and we got married when I was half way thru with my 2 years. When I got out ( I was an E-4) we were getting paid about $300 per month (included allotment for food and housing). Luckily I got my job back and I was making that much every week.

 

[Maverick1]

Terrible idea. Terrible thread. Not all that serve return home the same. Some do not even return home.

Just title it
“Mandatory 30% PTSD” or

“Mandatory 30% Alcohol Use Disorders”

 

[2531usmc]

Youth are starting to become awake about what runs our country compared to older generations seemingly.. Probably have some interesting results if you start forcing them to sacrifice and fight for International central bankers/Israel with the types of BS lies as justification being thrown out there over the past 2+ decades.

If we ever miraculously got leadership with a moral compass and the interests of everyday folks it might make more sense.

And this is an important point. After Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, do you think young people will run to the flag like they did in WW2 if we get in a war with china or Russian?

 

[kkp005]

Youth are starting to become awake about what runs our country compared to older generations seemingly.. Probably have some interesting results if you start forcing them to sacrifice and fight for International central bankers/Israel with the types of BS lies as justification being thrown out there over the past 2+ decades.

If we ever miraculously got leadership with a moral compass and the interests of everyday folks it might make more sense.

Exactly. Now that I’m a parent myself, I don’t want to send my kids off to a sandbox to get killed over some oil or for the rich folks to keep getting richer from the military industrial complex. Definitely don’t want my kids to go off and sacrifice their life for the . People are waking up to all the bullshit. I thought this current administration was supposed to be America first…..but they are just like everyone that came before them

 

[jmez]

I really think you are on to something here! Couple the emotional heartstring issue with the military industrial complex! You wanna talk unmlimited funding. Boom you just created it. And that pesky freedom/liberty thing.

 

[Poser]

Y'all realize that Starship Troopers was written as a warning, not an instruction manual?

I wanna join up. I think I got what it takes to be a Citizen.

 

[Poser]

I ran the cost analysis through AI. If you paid these draftees standard wages and included the GI bill etc, it would raise the current annual defense budget by 500-600% and require an initial infrastructure investment of around 1 trillion dollars, roughly equal to our current defense budget. So, the first year of implementation would require a defense budget of around 2.5 Trillion dollars. The IRS collects about 4.4 Trillion each year, so this program would cost approx. 56% of America's total tax revenue to implement.

I'll be willing to argue against anyone that the military is best served by a volunteer force barring necessity and any surplus revenue is better invested in a premium education and fully modernized healthcare for the entire population as education and healthcare is ultimately what solves strategic civilization problems. The more you diminish those 2 aspects, the less reasons you have to spend money defending the civilization AND, education and healthcare only improve the efficiency of defense.


Estimating the cost of mandatory military service for all Americans aged 18–20 requires making several assumptions regarding exemptions, pay scales, and infrastructure.

Here is a breakdown of the estimated costs based on current U.S. military spending standards and population data.

1. The Raw Numbers (The Intake)​

• Population: There are approximately 4.3 million Americans turning 18 every year.
• Eligibility: Historically, not everyone qualifies (medical issues, criminal records, low aptitude scores). However, in a mandatory "universal" system, we must assume high participation. Let’s assume a 75% induction rate (allowing for severe disabilities), resulting in 3.2 million conscripts per year.
• Total Force Size:Since the service is for 2 years, there would be two cohorts active at any time.
  • Total Conscript Force: ~6.4 million people.
  • (For context: The current active duty U.S. military is roughly 1.3 million. This would quintuple the size of the armed forces.)

2. Direct Personnel Costs (Recurring Annual Costs)​

If we assume these conscripts are paid at the current rank of Private (E-1) with standard benefits, the costs are substantial.

• Basic Pay:An E-1 earns approx. $24,000/year.
  • $24,000 ×× 6.4 million = $153.6 Billion.
• Food & Housing:The military must feed and house these troops. Even if they live in barracks and eat at mess halls (avoiding expensive housing allowances), the cost for subsistence and facilities maintenance is roughly $20,000 per person/year.
  • $20,000 ×× 6.4 million = $128 Billion.
• Healthcare:TRICARE (military health insurance) costs would skyrocket. A conservative estimate for young, healthy individuals is $5,000/year.
  • $5,000 ×× 6.4 million = $32 Billion.
• Gear & Equipment:Uniforms, body armor, and personal kits cost roughly $5,000 per soldier annually (amortized).
  • $5,000 ×× 6.4 million = $32 Billion.

Subtotal for Direct Compensation: ~\345 Billion per year.

3. Operational & Training Costs (Recurring)​

You cannot simply employ soldiers; you must train them. Basic Training is resource-intensive.

• Training Costs: Moving 3.2 million people through Basic Training every year requires massive amounts of ammunition, fuel, instructors, and transportation.
• Administration: The bureaucracy required to manage a draft of this size (Selective Service expansion, HR, legal) would be massive.
• Estimated Operational Overhead: Conservative estimates suggest adding $50–$100 Billion annually for the logistics of training and managing this workforce.

4. The "Hidden" Backend Costs (The GI Bill)​

If mandatory service comes with the same benefits as voluntary service, the U.S. would be on the hook for the GI Bill (college tuition) for 3.2 million people exiting the service every single year.

• If only 60% used the benefit at an average cost of $20,000/year for 4 years:
• Estimated Cost: ~\150 Billion per year in future liabilities.

5. Infrastructure (The "Upfront" Capital Cost)​

This is the most significant hurdle. The U.S. currently has barracks and bases for ~1.3 million active troops. Housing an additional 6.4 million people would require building the equivalent of 150 to 200 new large military bases.

• Construction Estimate: Trillions of dollars in one-time construction costs to build enough barracks to house the population of Los Angeles and Chicago combined.

The Bottom Line Summary​

If the U.S. implemented this policy today, maintaining current military standards of living and pay:

• Annual Recurring Cost: $500 Billion – $600 Billion
  (This would roughly double the current U.S. Defense Budget of ~\850 Billion to ~\1.4 Trillion).
• One-Time Infrastructure Cost: $1 Trillion+

The only way to lower this cost is to adopt a model like South Korea or (historically) Israel, where conscripts are paid well below minimum wage (e.g., $300–$500/month) and housed in austere conditions. Even then, the logistical cost of feeding, clothing, and training 6.4 million people would likely cost taxpayers at least $250 Billion annually.

 

[Deadspace]

Hard no.

 

[406flyfish]

Great idea! We should also implement that everyone must serve 4 years at their local Jimmy John’s….

 

[wind gypsy]

Maybe you could deploy a service member to every school as the PE teacher (although this would require the military to create a new program to train recruits how to manage each grade level appropriately and would be very expensive). At minimum, the teacher should be required to meet certain physical fitness and cognitive demands.