Is Conscription Necessary?

A country should have an efficient military defense to ensure its own safety and existence. But sometimes, some countries do not have sufficient amount of volunteers to join the army. To solve that problem, some countries enforce a policy that is called conscription. Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in military service. It constrains all citizens of a country to be trained militarily and to join the military service for some determined time. But until today, many still argue whether conscription is necessary for a country or not.

Conscription has at least five advantages. Firstly, participation in military service trains someone to have a stronger character. The harsh environment and situations build up someone's determination and perseverance in battling against all odds. Someone who has strong characters tends to be a leader in the future, and this gives a great advantage to the country. Moreover, someone learns the value of the things that he has and learns to appreciate them. For instance, when camping in the wilderness, wood has to be gathered to build a bonfire, tents have to be built with poles, canvas, ropes, and many more. They will realize the noticeable difference from the comfort of home, where the bed is laid ready with pillows, blankets, and the room is equipped with an air-conditioner. They will realize how lucky they are that they have a cozy house.

In addition, participation in military service also sharpens social skills. Surrounded with many people with same suffering will eventually make someone tolerates and cooperates with others and will allow them to make friends. Furthermore, participation in military service grooms oneself in physical fitness. There are countless opportunities to train their life skills. Thus, they learn to adapt to the surroundings and coping with the harsh environment. These will improve their fitness.  Lastly, compulsory military service will make fine citizens who will be ready to defend their country when the need arises. Through military service, one learns the importance of the safety of the country. National military service thus brings out a sense of ownership and responsibility in them.

On the other hand, conscription has several disadvantages. Firstly, it violates individual rights. There are a lot of people who do not have passion in military. These people will not thrive and give their best, and the result can be disappointing. Some people can even get a shortcut by paying a bribe. Moreover, those who are conscripted may evade service, sometimes by leaving the country. This gives a great disadvantage for the country because instead of having an expanded army, it loses one of its citizens. Thirdly, conscription underestimates the military forces of a country. Conscripting civilian citizens to join the army means the country does not believe the ability of its own military forces. Lastly, conscription needs big sum of money. If the plan of conscription is not supported by sufficient fund, a country will instead face bankruptcy.

In conclusion, whether a country needs to enforce conscription or not depends on its condition. A country which has minim military forces needs to enforce conscription. A country which is in the middle of war also needs to enforce conscription. But a country which has proper quality and quantity of military forces does not require conscription, included Indonesia.