Lithuanian authorities do their possible to attract young men to serve in the armed forces. Another thing is that what they do does not always bring the desired results.

Due to the unique security situation Lithuania faces, it was decided to reinstate conscription in 2015, though, frankly, in a democratic society conscription seems very anachronistic. The fact is nothing compares to highly trained and fully funded professional armed forces. However, Lithuanian authorities consider that “desperate times call for desperate measures”.

Thus, it was proclaimed that military service is duty, honor, challenges and vivid experiences. The more so, conscript soldiers are paid monthly allowances an cumulative payment after service (max total – 3123,90 euro) and their former or new employer after service will be paid 6 month subsidy (increasing chances of finding work). Even the new way of choosing conscripts was invented! The draft lists are drawn up randomly at the beginning of each year, by means of a computer program, the so called “lottery”.
https://balticword.com/paradoxes-of-the-lithuanian-society/

Adomas,
My view is that, if you want to access the benefits of a Nation then you have to provide a responsible contribution !
18 months or two year National Service is the entry fee !

individual,

You never did National Service.

So what is this: a case of do what I say, not what I do?

Mr Opinion,
You leave me no choice but to go along with what the others describe you as on OLO.

Yes indi

Mopi, throughout OLOsphere, is known as honourable Toto in Zoo of life.

Hi there INDIVIDUAL...

I've always supported your view that all young men and women of 18 years, should perform some structured National Service with the same form of discipline as found in the ARA. Not necessarily bearing arms, if they're conscientious objectors, but some form of service that benefits the entire nation.

Whatever form of service they wish to perform, the discipline and structure must be similar to that found in Military Recruit Training. Anything less would defeat the rationale and justification of why National Service is so important during young people's formative years.

Mr O,

Correct, Indy did skite on the Forum that as a young bloke he was able to dodge national service. Like the Vietnam War itself, the biggest supporters of conscription were women over 60, followed by men over 60. The biggest group opposed were young men aged around 20. Why was that?

Hi o sung wu, I don't think military discipline can be all that horrifying, it wasn't in my school days.

In the mid 50s Young High school had a cadet core, I wonder if it has one today? The school population at the time was 330 kids. Of these 100 kids were under the eligible age for joining, leaving 230 prospective cadets. Half of these were girls, who in that more genteel age did not do such bistros stuff, leaving 115 eligible.

We were just a few short of 3 platoons strong, so just under 90 of the 115 eligible, about 75% volunteered to submit themselves to a slightly toned down military discipline.

I don't know if schools still have cadet cores today, I know none of the local schools around here do. If they did, I wonder what percentage of todays somewhat softer brats would volunteer.

Hassy, the lads of today are ripe for enlistment. They are at the ready to follow good old General 'Blood and Guts' Hasbeen to hell and back! Just a couple of questions from the lads; When they are out on manoeuvres will you be providing WiFi and Netflicks? If they have to bivouac out there in the bushie stuff, can it be close to a Macca's so they can pick up essential rations such as Big Mac's and fries?

Hi there, HASBEEN...

We never had a Cadet Corps at my High School; I dare say I would've joined it if we did. My best mate who lived directly across the road from us went to Newington College, a private school, and he was in the School Cadets becoming a sergeant. I realise the discipline and training they did in the school cadets wasn't quite as demanding as that in the ARA, but it did give them a good basic grounding in the military environment.

HASBEEN you would've copped your fair share of Naval authority and regimen when you were in the Fleet Air Arm, learning to operate A/C from the pitching deck of an A/C carrier? As you know, I did my (Restricted) Private Pilot's Licence, allowing me to fly pax in and around the training area and was well on the way to obtaining my unrestricted endorsement. But the costs just became too much for me, trying to do the required (minimum) cross country nav. Exercises, that back then (the mid-1960s), was nearly 100 Aussie pounds per hour, in a Cessna 172! Even the two-place Cessna 150, cost nearly ninety pounds per hour if you could book a C.150 that is?

I'd be grateful if there's anybody on this Site who's in touch with FOXY if they would be kind enough to pass on my best wishes to her and her ill husband. She must be doing it tough looking after her hubby, while not being very well herself?

Take care please FOXY, if you happen to be reading this. And you take care as well please HASBEEN!

Didn't suffer navy discipline o sung wu. There were only 6 of us doing an "officer introductory course" at Flinders navy depot, & we had a really great CPO instructor. We all wanted to excel, so not much discipline was required. I did see the way recruits were treated & wondered if that was really necessary.

We were joined by 4 general service officers then went to the RAAF to learn to fly, & that was more like a bunch of high school kids playing soldier. I don't recall any discipline there at all.

We then went off to the Royal Navy to do our carrier training. They had real discipline, but there were only 3 of us left then, & apart from our training, we were almost totally ignored.

Yes, all the best, Foxy !

Love,

Joe

Back in the 50's and 60's cadet units were popular in Catholic and private schools. The reason being they made the perfect playground for paedophiles. In about the 2nd year of high school I refused to "volunteer" to join my Catholic school's cadet unit. The Cadet Master made my life hell, bullying, intimidating, corporal punishment the type of behaviour one could expect from a deviant militarist. Years later the pervert was exposed as a paedophile, he had molested many boys, including at cadet camps. The same turd was school 'Master of Discipline'.

Francis William Cable (also known as "Brother Romuald") Cadet Master and convicted paedophile.

It was the high schools not Catholic schools with cadet cores in country NSW in the 50s.

No pedophilia there either. Any one who tried that on would have found themselves in hospital pretty quickly. Country kids could be pretty tough, & didn't muck about.

Our cadet masters were an ex mosquito path finder pilot, & an infantry major from the middle east & New Guinea, both of whom, with their wives were too busy increasing the bush population to bother with that stuff.

Some of us weren't too sure about the geography master, but then he married the french teacher & joined the populate or perish brigade.

Lithuania is in an interesting geographical context I don't envy their location- a land border with Russia. But they have the advantage of the Baltic Sea. They seem to be on the border of Germanic and Slavic tribes. A fascinating and potentially unstable region of the world would seem to require vigilance to hold. As they say freedom isn't free.