The reaction to National Service on here

[MaryMaryVeryContrary]

Many European countries (including Scandinavian countries) have NS. Are they ‘ridiculous’? Or are their much-coveted-by-Mumsnet-users communities better because of their sense of individual responsibility and contribution?

If 24 days (that’s how long it would be in total) of delivering prescriptions or volunteering as a hospital guide has you talking about human rights violations and Nazi Germany, then it’s very clear that you’re so pampered a bit of NS would do you good.

Everyone on here expects the world in terms of a ’village’, generous benefits, a caring society, but wants to do fuck all to contribute to it and think the notion of them having to do ANYTHING for anyone else is insane.

It’s nuts!

It would be a very interesting idea where this gov (any) gets there gov ideas from .I think it would make very interesting reading if you had time .

i

Of course it is a problem if some people can pay to get out of it. It's bad enough that this would only apply to 18 year olds but making it something that 18 year olds with well off parents can avoid would be outrageous.

It would need to be a broader requirement to complete service across the whole population rather than just 18 year olds if you could pay to get out of it.

Clearly this would need to be the individuals own money, rather than it being gifted from some other pot.

I think all politicians should do to qualify for the job. I don’t think women should be forced to do it if only frontline but could be given options to other forms in other ways. Definitely think it should run until a person is 30-35 to give opportunity to do it later if they want to.

i also meet lots of 18 year olds who just don’t know what they want but are happy to sit and play station and live of their parents.

My teacher who sadly is not with us had a great time doing national service, loads of stories about the opportunities it gave him.

@wombat15

I'm quite interested in your service record. As you bring up mine. When was the last time you had to navigate having a comfort break with a SIG/Glock strapped to your thigh wearing dpm95/mtp?

Yes, or helped a veteran to stand for the first time on prosthetic legs????

Excluding women would be a negative step. Most of the military wouldn't want conscripts anywhere near front line operations.

The military has more jobs than you can think of, almost any civilian job you can think of you can find in the military, from accountants to zoologists.

You start out with the common military syllabus over 13 weeks. This could be delivered to most people although it might take longer if participants were less motivated/ fit.

My service record is irrelevant as I am not the one who thinks national service is a good idea.

Haven't read all the posts as it's a long thread, but surely the best way forward is to have a simultaneous vote for national service, where everyone who votes for it offers their own time.

There are plenty of retirees who have time on their hands, but will be voting for something that youngsters studying, holding down a part time job (plus paying for their uni education,which their elders didn't have to do) will be forced in to, whilst the retirees sit at home with a cup of tea and a biscuit.

If people think that national service is such a good idea, then those voters should be the ones carrying it out.

If you vote against, you don't have to serve; if you vote for, it's because you're offering your own time, simple.

In Finland national service is optional for women but I can see both sides really and as you say there are many roles not just front line. I think the Finnish service does give frontline roles and they are the most sought after but it is for a longer so that the person is trained sufficiently. They do things like patrol the Russian border I think.

I have to say that the psychological challenges are often more of an issue than the physical ones.

Those first days being conscious in hospital but being immobilised and blind is more terrifying than any physical challenge. It's almost worse as the pain subsided and you only have your own head for company.

You don't know if your friends are ok, and don't want to ask. You don't want to ask the other people on the ward about there experiences.

I would have liked someone to talk to about the weather, read to me/ keep me company. Family can be complicated, especially in that situation . Talking to professionals is needed but that's hard going as well, dealing with did you do the right thing, are you

The days are punctuated by porters and nurses that you only recognise there voice being wheeled backwards and forwards to MRI and CT scanners, drugs rounds and terrible nights sleep.

@ThinkingForward I’m sorry you have been through that and the trauma that you have experienced.

You can opt out of the 48 hour working week but you CANNOT opt out of the 1 day off in 7, (or 2 consecutive days off in 14). So I guess technically it’s just about compliant. But really not ideal.

@Itsrainingten
As a older voter, I dislike it intensely.
Compulsory voluntary work is not voluntary.
How do you make an 18 year old, say, work with elderly people, who doesn't want to be there, and will do the basic minimum required.
I certainly would not want any 18 year old of mine to do any form of military service either.
However, many 18 year old have a 'gap year' doing some kind of voluntary work in developing countries, usually those from richer families. (Poorer students can't afford to 'lose' a year.)
I could see there being a scheme whereby the 'gap year' style voluntary work was extended to local projects etc in rhe UK, as long as it was not compulsory.

@milveycrohn I hope you didn't think I meant most older voters were motivated by spite towards youngsters. I absolutely don't think that. But that is the group this policy is geared towards. And sadly I think there are quite a few in there. I agree with you that a gap year style volunteering which was optional could be great for the kids and the country. But forcing them into unpaid labour just because they're young is awful.

A few of Ds’s friends did take a gap year but they used it to earn as much money as they could

Yes, this is fair. I was thinking about when I finished A levels - I went on a long holiday with my boyfriend at the time and then went to university (which I didn’t have to pay for). I did do some babysitting jobs in sixth form (it meant doing my Chemistry homework sitting at someone else’s kitchen table) but that was about it.

https://bylinetimes.com/2024/06/03/care-leavers-made-homeless/

Wonder how these care leavers will feel about doing National Service 🙄