Personally, I'm very much in favor of a draft for national service, but not the typical military-only draft. I think that the draft is a defining experience in a young person's life, and very often can make boys into men, or girls into women - it forces the individual to work with a group, meet those from different social backgrounds, function together, etc. It's a highly maturing experience.
However, to make it a military-only draft often defeats these objectives, and causes huge resentment. I'd prefer to see a draft for all teenagers, of both sexes, where they would have to serve for a couple of years in the service of the nation. This could include:
- Military service;
- Peace Corps;
- Assistance with national projects such as wildlife conservation, forestry, erosion control, etc.;
- Medical assistance (e.g. nursing assistance, hospital orderlies, etc.);
- Disaster relief;
- Education (particularly in more deprived areas such as Native American reservations, or projects in poorer countries);
- Public works.
This could also be combined with one's career planning. Those who wanted to study medicine, for example, could work in a related field, and perhaps do some coursework for credit towards their future education. Those who wanted to teach could work in the field of education, and also earn credits. A "completion bonus" could be provided for those who successfully complete their service, to be applied to their ongoing education, or just as a cash payment to provide an incentive for them to co-operate (of course, the "completion bonus" would not be paid to those who'd given unsatisfactory service).
Those are my thoughts, anyway.