General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: This message was self-deleted by its author [View all]nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)ROTC.
If you want to do college first, uncle Sam has this great program... and we know you will love it. We pay for it, but you will owe us not four, but eight years as an officer. (Which is what we are currently doing anyway)
Realize though, I am not just saying military. We need roads to build, disadvantaged communities to serve, and all that. Kids could serve as part of a County Fire Service, including a fire academy. Upon finishing services, they would have the skills to work with a fire department. The track would be instead of volunteers doing their time, people doing their national service doing their time and able to apply for a career.
As to the Mexican system, it has serious issues with implementation, but every college graduate, from both private and public schools has to do a year of servicio social, and Mexico still has a draft (even if they go do close order drill on Saturdays and mostly do public works. That lasts for a year and it is lottery based.)
Americans are just allergic to the concept, and it is cultural. It will not happen, ever. (Or at least until we have a massive change in the culture and I have no idea what will bring that change about)