As the experience of the September 11 attacks has shown us, the world is becoming an increasingly dangerous place. In addition to the threat of terrorism, civil and international conflicts have created tension and instability in various regions of the world. These conflicts require that the United States, the world's most powerful country, defend democracy and our nation's interests wherever they are threatened. Currently, however, these conflicts are taxing our military forces beyond their capacity, putting our military and our nation in a dangerously vulnerable position. In these times of increased terrorism, we need a strong military that can be ready for action at a moment's notice. Maintaining a strong, well-staffed military is the only way our country can be assured of peace. …show more content…
Recently, the Navy, Air Force and Army have all fallen short of their personnel enlistment goals. With its current size, our military would allow the nation to enter and win only two regional conflicts at the same time. Regrettably, this is not enough. The Navy had 7,000 fewer volunteers than were required to meet its quota for new recruits. The Air Force lacked 2,000 pilots in 2003. Our voluntary armed forces system is in crisis. The supply of available young people is shrinking. In 1980 there were more than 17 million 17- to 20-year-olds. Currently, there are fewer than 10 to 12 million in this age group. This reduction in the number of available youth and the shrinking number of new recruits should serve as a wake up call that mandatory military service should be a requirement if we hope to have a safe and secure