Military Service Should Be MandatoryAmericans, especially baby boomers, should be ashamed of themselves. How can the richest people in the world let their military beg for recruits? Each year, the military services – Air Force, Army, Marines, Navy – establish recruiting goals to maintain adequate numbers of personnel. The numbers change each year based on, among other factors, service requirements, recruiting figures from the previous year and retention of current troops. Most informed people know these sad statistics, but let me repeat them for the record: The Air Force has a purpose. 33,800 for this year; he expects a deficit of 1,700. The army needs 74,500 men, but it will miss the mark by 6,300 men. Currently short of its goal of 53,200, the Navy hopes to have enough recruits by the end of the week. Because of its unique tradition, the Marine Corps is the only branch that regularly fills its quota. In total, according to the Associated Press, the services need 197,115 recruits to maintain a force of 1.4 million. Why do services have such a hard time recruiting? One obvious reason, according to the New York Times, is that the number of people aged 18 to 22, the ideal age for recruits, has fallen to about 21 million, or 5 million fewer than in 1980. Another A major reason, of course, is that the economy has opened up job opportunities for those who might otherwise consider the military as an option. These two reasons are the real reasons for the shrinking recruiting pool, but I see another, which may be at the heart of the problem: As a group, 18-22 year olds are not patriotic. And perhaps worse, too many baby boomer parents and other "influencers" -- teachers and coaches -- disparage the militia...... middle of paper ...... y" if we hope to recruit In fact, where I come from, we call such thinking objectionable No, we need to abandon the concept of an all-volunteer army and recruit everyone who doesn't volunteer - including the children of the rich and the poor. powerful in closed enclaves I leave the logistics to the experts Unfortunately, these days, when parents advise their children on career choices, fewer mention the military. the New York Times senior of the class of 2000 on his peers' attitudes toward the military. His response: "It's not even in their vocabulary, we shouldn't be ashamed of." This, my friends - especially parents, teachers and coaches - are guilty of. All who enjoy the freedom to live in America should serve..