I’m in favor of mandatory service but please be aware I actively protested against both the Iraq and Afghanistan war before either even started. To this day I remember being in my 20s and standing on a freeway overpass with my father, mother, aunt, uncle and grandma all holding signs expressing opposition to the looming invasion of Iraq. My uncle was a Navy vet and I had one cousin in the Navy and another in the Air Force at the time. The invasion of Iraq in particular was an horrible and unjustified notion and many of us knew that before it unfolded. We tried to make our voices heard, unfortunately we were completely drowned out by the chorus of post 9/11 “patriotism”. Those foolish military adventures made my traditionally Republican parents vote Democratic in every election since.
As much as I support the fight of Ukrainian people I would be appalled if the US ever sent our soldiers to die in that fight. I believe we should absolutely support the fight to defend democracy and sovereignty, but using our own forces should be an absolute last resort and reserved only for those unique instances when the moral imperative for the use of force is absolutely unequivocal. I also firmly believe that war powers rest in Congress as the constitution clearly states. The US should NEVER fight a war that is not first supported by a resolution from Congress, and then comes with an open and official declaration of war even if it isn’t against an actual nation state.
I honestly think mandatory service, not a draft, but EVERY US citizen serving from age 18 to age 20 would actually decrease the risk of US involvement in war going forward. I’m pretty sure that there will never be another “draft” in the history of our nation.