North Korea requires 11 years of men and 7 years of women. Wow. Conscription in South Korea (not listed) has existed since 1957 and requires male citizens between the ages of 18 and 35 to perform about two years of compulsory military service.[1][2] Women are not required to perform military service, but may voluntarily enlist.[3] Though it’s a common fear and complaint in Korean Dramas, the military obligation is also viewed as a way to correct wayward youths. Two women from New York City in my platoon were given the choice between going to jail and joining the military. They were scary until the makeup and clothes came off then, level with the rest of us, they didn’t prove tough at all.

Not much to learn after Boot Camp, the most memorable weeks of my life. So, two years of service with four left in the reserves gave me everything I needed for the rest of my life: college education, travel, and distance from family, the top three reasons I signed the dotted line. Of course there’s security, three meals a day, shelter and clothes that concern all women on their own. By the time husband retired after 22 years we had all the college needed for him to go to the College of Law and me to get a Masters Degree. Three children who wanted to, went to college and graduated, while our oldest started and stopped so many times, has never finished. He became a Tribal Court Judge, but I only taught long enough to pay off my student loans. Benefits are not as good as they were for us, but still attractive. The military puts people from all over the country together for a common purpose: protecting our freedom and ways of life. It’s the most unifying entity, more than public schools. Public schools divide between those using textbooks from Texas and those schools using books from Minnesota. K-12 students are still stuck in their community unless their family moves. Colleges accepting students from all over, especially the top high school athletes is somewhat unifying. Still nothing like the military experience, civilians just don’t get how valuable it is on so many levels, despite knowing people who have served. Both the military and college are good places for high school graduates to hang until they get a job: they learn and gain experience for the interview. No guarantees, but .... I preferred college students who had served in the military because the willing student makes your day while the party goer can’t help dozing off is a real drag to educate. College students were not in my plan; my plan was high school, but the job available was with the know it all students who had no idea they didn’t know it all. Anyway, I paid off my student loans at 8% interest.