Many countries force young people to serve in the military with some people suggesting that this should be extend to all countries and possibly for both sexes. I would argue that although military service is helpful for some it may not be a good idea for everybody.
One argument in favour of universal military service is that it will increase the skills of young people. They will be force to face challenges and see the benefits of discipline and training. People in favour also argue that it would help stop young people doing crime which is growing problem in many countries.
On the other hand, critics argue that it leads to more violence for the youth and that not all countries need to have so many people in the army. Furthermore the cost of maintaining such a large number of people would be huge. Finally, they say it is unappropriate to make peaceful people to go to the military.
There are alternatives to military service. Instead young people could take part in community service programmes after leaving school. This would help to develop young people skills while they are improving the community where they are living. Some people may also argue that this would be more suitable for both men and women.
To conclude, while military service does have clear benefits there are also some negative aspects related to force people to serve in the armed forces. For this reason, I would argue that there are other ways of developing young people’s skills.