What do you think of mandatory 4 years of military service followed by 4 years of free education?

1) Why just males?

2) Compelled Service isn't going to bring out the "best" in anyone.

3) Do we actually have strength issues?

I think it would be a terrible idea for military service to be mandatory. I agree with SFC James S. We would get truly garbage troops if they had no choice. They wouldn't care about the mission, or have any buy in to the whole thing. I think it would make people hate the military even more.

Without Question and Without Exception EVERYONE should serve some form of public service. Rich, Poor, male, female, EVERYONE.
Everyone needs to learn that there is something more important in this world than they are. Some type of public service, minimum of FOUR years with a year of college at an in-state school for every year completed honorably, and a prohibition of college for NOT completing it. Yes, I said it...If you don't do your service you don't go to college.
Military service to being teacher's aids to working in a nursing home. EVERYONE should serve somehow.

I think that is great.

I go the other way, I think anyone who takes and passes the testing and physical and wants to join should be enlisted for 3years Active Duty. I'm not sure about now but when I was a recruiter only 13% of those eligible used it. Of course there were plenty of good Union jobs then. Everyone thinks they will use it but in the interim they marry and have children.

12 years of service for 4 years of training.

If I remember correctly, this is what I learned about Germany when I was stationed there right out of AIT in 1989. They have/had some sort of mandatory requirement for social service after high school where they either that to enter military service OR work within the social services field. The time requirement was for 2 years. From there, they were cleared to proceed with life as they saw fit.

Numbers wise, it would be a stretch for the military, although hundreds of thousands wouldn't qualify due to medical issues, etc. I think that it would be a great idea because a sense of service needs to be instilled into this generation.

Four years is fine for someone who can qualify for four years of college out in front. otherwise it's waste of time and money. However it would be great if all young men could do six months in the military including boot camp just to give them some discipline and perspective on life in general.

After serving. Not enough $$ to set in a class room.

I did a lil more than two and with disability And still working I get by. I think two is enough and during Viet Nam years when I was in it was allowed. National Guard was pretty boggy in those days but after 9/11 they stepped up and pulled more than their fair share I salute my brothers in Nat Grd they are fine Soldiers and Marines. I have to plead ignorance as to weather Navy has a Nat Grd component. I just don't know. I know Air Force does and not sure about Coasties either. They do great work in rescue and drug interdiction. Plus got a couple of distant cousins that retired well out of Coast Guard. But am unaware of reserve component of Navy or Coast Guard.