Joining the military is a huge commitment that takes a tremendous amount of thought. People are legally bound to serve for anywhere between 2-9 years. Forcing teens into making such a huge commitment right after high school would have many adverse and harmful effects on teens. Joining the military could leave negative effects on teens' mental health, prevent them from chasing their dreams, and expose them to serious problems in the military. Teens should not be required to serve in the military following high school. Forcing teens to serve in the military following high school would take away many freedoms. Many teens have dreams of going to college and pursuing higher education. If teens joined the military, it would force them to start working. In addition, teenagers would also start working at an extremely structured and disciplined workplace. Herrity, Jennifer in “5 Reasons To Join the Military (Plus 5 Considerations)”, stated that “Service members don't get to choose where they’re stationed, what they eat or when they can rest.” That would lead to teens not having any control over their lives. Teens would also have to endure daily …show more content…
Joining the military could lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Depression, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), or substance use disorders. According to “Veterans and Active Duty.” on NAMI “nearly 1 in 4 active duty members showed signs of a mental health condition.” 25% of the U.S. military is about 330,000 people. The article also stated that the rate of PTSD is 15 times greater in service members than in civilians. These statistics show how joining the military would consequently affect teens' mental health. Considering that thousands of adults are affected by mental illnesses, teens would also be greatly affected. Because mental illnesses can be long-lasting, teens will have to live with the negative effects of the military for the rest of their