Military Service - Active Duty

[Ludwig Venter]

In the era that I grew up here in SA, there was one given......

You will do (compulsory) military service of at least 9 months or 1 year.... (once your school days are over)

Those doing 9 months basic service, were called up afterwards do to active military Guerrilla warfare on the Northern border of SWA (Namibia) against the Angolan and SWAPO forces....

Those doing 1 year basic training were excused from any further military duties. I was in the unfortunate 9 month group and spent 8 x 3 month spells up on the border in active warfare.....

Having watched the movie with Elvis (Pressley) "G.I. Blues" where he, (Elvis) was also called up for military service (and in real life actually spent time in jail for failing to show up).... I was just wondering if this also happens in other countries, where youngsters are called up (or even draughted) for compulsory military service???..... (it is no longer practiced in SA, although they still take in volunteers)

 

[bae1994]

not in uk but volunteers still join

 

[elisew]

We have the TA (Territorial Army) in the UK but there`s no compulsory joining up any more, hasn`t been for years. Unfortunately there`s a lot of training areas that are being taken away by Govt cuts so the TA will be hit massively over the next couple of years.

It`s a topic that hubby and I have discussed many a time, he`s in the Armed Forces so has the opinion that a lot of the youngsters these days need more discipline than a lot clearly get and also a huge kick up the jacksie but he also thinks that the Army isn`t the right place for them. As he says 'Would you want a piece of disrespectful scum watching your back in a war situation?'

Needless to say I agree with his point to be honest

 

[Ace Of Spades]

Lots of countries still do, Israel, Germany, Turkey, Greece etc, There are loads. But they all vary to what you actually have to do, I believe in Germany you choose a public service i.e Ambulance, Army, Firemen etc.

 

[hughessomefish]

The united states haven't had a draft since the vietnam war. but I think if we would have to go to war with north korea we might have to considering we have troops in Afganistain and Iraq

 

[the biffster]

here in the UK we used to have national service
which i think stopped in the 60s
i think my father in law was called
up to do it so was my uncle