What You Can Do for Your Country
The Prompt:
In some countries every young person must serve two years of military service. Should we have a similar policy in the United States? Write an essay stating your position on this issue and supporting it with convincing reasons. Be sure to explain your reasons in detail.
The Model Essay:
What You Can Do for Your Country
A few countries require every young person to serve two years of military service, and as we continue to face military conflicts across the
Introduction
Statement of issue
globe, some have proposed that the United States adopt a similar policy of mandatory conscription. I believe that a two-year period of national service should be compulsory for all young people. However, making the
Position statement with supporting reasons
commitment to serve that time in the military should be each individual’s choice. Mandatory conscription will only succeed in putting unmotivated people in the military, making U.S. forces unreliable and less powerful.
Instead of serving exclusively in the military, every young person should have the option of participating in some kind of public service that suits
Proposal of alternative, with advantages
his or her interests, such as the AmeriCorps, Habitat for Humanity, the
Peace Corps, or Teach For America. If all eighteen-year-olds were required to give two years of public service, they would contribute greatly to their country and communities while acquiring a better sense of the world around them.
One reason the United States military is so powerful is because it is
Body
made up of volunteers. Every Marine fighting on the front lines for the
United States is there because he or she volunteered and made a commitment to the country. If people were forced to join the military, then the troops might not be as reliable because some soldiers might be unmotivated to fight. Although the military is an excellent place for young people to learn discipline, some of them
In some countries every young person must serve two years of military service. Should we have a similar policy in the United States? Write an essay stating your position on this issue and supporting it with convincing reasons. Be sure to explain your reasons in detail.
The Model Essay:
What You Can Do for Your Country
A few countries require every young person to serve two years of military service, and as we continue to face military conflicts across the
Introduction
Statement of issue
globe, some have proposed that the United States adopt a similar policy of mandatory conscription. I believe that a two-year period of national service should be compulsory for all young people. However, making the
Position statement with supporting reasons
commitment to serve that time in the military should be each individual’s choice. Mandatory conscription will only succeed in putting unmotivated people in the military, making U.S. forces unreliable and less powerful.
Instead of serving exclusively in the military, every young person should have the option of participating in some kind of public service that suits
Proposal of alternative, with advantages
his or her interests, such as the AmeriCorps, Habitat for Humanity, the
Peace Corps, or Teach For America. If all eighteen-year-olds were required to give two years of public service, they would contribute greatly to their country and communities while acquiring a better sense of the world around them.
One reason the United States military is so powerful is because it is
Body
made up of volunteers. Every Marine fighting on the front lines for the
United States is there because he or she volunteered and made a commitment to the country. If people were forced to join the military, then the troops might not be as reliable because some soldiers might be unmotivated to fight. Although the military is an excellent place for young people to learn discipline, some of them