[gaijinda]

National service is a very interesting question.
I am not sure what percentage of young people join today, but I am not sure there is room in today's armed services for every able bodied citizen being asked to serve. I have read the pentagon likes the volunteer military. #1, the servicemen/women want to be there and #2 modern warfare and arms are very complex and need lots of training.
I have done volunteer work with lots of college grads in the Americorps program (a few of them vets) and they are a very impressive group of young people.