Since 1973, Americans have not had to deal with the policy of conscription. In the 27 years that have followed, only those who have made the decision to serve the military have done so.
 
Our country has still maintained a strong military without the draft, and while it has had its problems at times, the repeal of the draft has not had a disastrous effect.
 
However, conscription is not dead throughout the world, and some countries, like Israel, still utilize it.
 
While Israel’s conscription policies are very similar to how our draft was conducted (aside from their inclusion of women), it is instead the policies of some of the European countries that are more intriguing.
 
In the European Union, for example, a handful of countries including Greece, Austria and Finland continue to have mandatory service.
 
Before Sept. 27, Germany was also one of these countries. And while they may no longer have mandatory service, we might be able to learn something from how they practiced it.
 
There, men were given three options when drafted by the government upon reaching 18. The first and most obvious was to serve in the military for six months, two of which consisted of basic training. After the first two months, draftees would be given a post to be positioned for the remaining four, though they would not be forced to go into a combat zone unless they had volunteered.
 
Through all of this, they would be provided free housing, food and health care.
 
Personally, this sounds pretty good to a college student facing college debt. The military option is not what intrigues me, though. It is instead the other two options that could be potentially feasible.
 
Civil protection, the first of these two options, is basically volunteering ones’ self in the event that the community needs you. For six years, the draftee would basically be part of the disaster relief of the community, participating with the volunteer firefighters or other agencies like the Red Cross.
 
While no payment is received during this time, it allows the community to be more prepared in a time of crisis. And while they might never be called upon, at least the option is still there.
 
The last of these options, conscientious objectors, are those with moral problems against joining the military and are allowed to work in a civilian service instead. For six months, these draftees would work in professions which offer a public service, from hospitals and rehab centers to kindergartens.
 
Certainly when one thinks of a draft, Germany’s take on the subject might not be what one had in mind. But it doesn’t sound like something I would be terribly against, at least regarding the non-military options.
 
Getting a job as a college graduate is not guaranteed, and it only seems to be getting harder.
 
As of earlier this year, CareerBuilder.com’s annual study found only 44 percent of employers planned on hiring those who had recently graduated, and with the rise of unemployment comes more competition.
 
It is in this regard a draft of sorts might be beneficial, both to community and draftee.
 
What if, for instance, upon graduation from a public university you were forced to give back to the country in one way or another? You might have the option of being part of a volunteer service for a few years or having a service-based job for a few months.
 
Whether through an interim job in the community or volunteer service, a process like this seems to be a great way to strengthen the community while providing jobs to those who might need them.
 
While full-out military drafts will hopefully remain in America’s past, perhaps community-based ones can pop up instead.
 
Though the current economy might not provide us the chance to experiment in social changes like this, it should be something to explore when we’re stable once again.
 
Zachary Davis is a 19-year-old history sophomore from Warsaw, Poland. Follow him on Twitter
@TDR_zdavis.
 
 
 
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Contact Zachary Davis at [email protected]