20061120 If Not the Draft, Then What?

While I completely disagree with Representative Charlie Rangel’s call to reinstate the draft because of the obvious political and ideological reasons that motivated such a call, I cannot disagree that the United States would not benefit from a program to encourage Americans to serve their country and thereby gain a greater sense of what their nation is all about. Service to one’s nation is the greatest mark of citizenship as it gives the one who serves a sense of ownership in that nation.

Yet, how is compulsory service compatible with the ideals of a nation based on the notion of individual liberty? Obviously compulsorily demanded behavior cannot exist in a nation that intends for its citizens to be free, however offering incentives to free citizens to serve cannot help but increase the number of serving citizens and benefit the nation as a whole.

To that end, the United States Congress should establish a service incentive program. This program should be designed to encourage US citizens to serve in vetted federal, state, and local organizations and programs- that is not just limited to the military and the Peace Corps- that benefit their fellow citizens. These programs should include military, government, and charitable programs and organizations.

In return for that service, the citizens who choose to serve should receive the benefit of having post-secondary education and training paid for in any program that those who have served can be admitted to, including tuition, books, and any on-campus room and board. This benefit should begin after two years of service and provide two years of education or training, with an additional year of benefit for an additional year of service up to eight years.

The benefit of this program would be to dramatically increase both the sense of service and ownership in the United States among those who serve and also to dramatically improve the goal of establishing a well educated electorate and workforce, both effects that would strengthen the US both politically and economically, especially since these veteran, educated citizens would be more likely to vote, be aware of what they are voting for, and be more likely to work in economically viable jobs.

Further such a program cannot help but lessen the impact of job layoffs, unemployment, and ultimately reduce the welfare rolls by providing a direct outlet for people to serve, remain employed, become educated, and enter or return to the workforce better off than when they left. The economic impact of that benefit alone is enough to justify the cost of such a program.

Of course, such a program will cost America, but the initial cost will be returned multifold in the increased tax revenues of citizens that can expect to earn more because they are college educated, beyond the benefits of service itself. In addition, the ultimate reduction in welfare programs will significantly reduce the overall federal, state, and local budgets as those programs are needed less and less.

Such a program is an undoubted wise investment of American tax dollars both currently and for the future. If America is to retain its place in the world, such a program must be an active and ongoing part of that effort.

DLH