According to the Oxford dictionary, military service is the “time spent serving in the armed forces, especially as a compulsory period for young people in some countries.”

Military service might be good for keeping some countries safe, and for using their young people’s skills and talents, but I’m talking about Iran’s military service and problems specific to it. I still believe the service can be useful for the country, but, as it is now, it is just harmful!

Iranian soldiers monthly salary is just around $10, which is not even enough for transportation from their home to the garrison or post. Soldiers are often far from their family as Iran is a large country and the Iranian military system will randomly assign a city and place where you have to do your service. Earning just $10 a month means that if he wants to see his family, the soldier has to borrow some money to do his service.

Don’t expect to be useful while you do military service, the Iranian military doesn’t care what a boy knows or what his work experience might be even though the government spends lots of money in schools, universities and work environment to make young boys experienced and teach them something useful. Most of the time he won’t be in a good position and related job, he’ll waste his time and resources, and he will forget most of the things he had learned in university or in his profession! That means people’s money (taxes) is being wasted.

Universities are full of young boys trying to escape from military service by staying in school as long as possible. They will extend their studies and not complete it, hoping to put off service as long as possible. Universities are free and are managed and supported by the government. When you have boys in universities that are just there to avoid doing their service, do they study and research there as well? That means people’s money (taxes) is being wasted.

They can’t marry #1: with $10 monthly salaries, you can’t marry. It isn’t enough for a single person to live on, let alone a couple. But our media has a focus on having more children and marriage! But how is it possible when all young boys have a military service problem?

They can’t marry #2: but if you did not do your military service, you are not accepted by girl’s families. Your life is pretty much controlled by military service if you do it or not! Boys are not earning a lot of money, they are busy, and two years is spent not being useful! After that two years maybe they can’t find the job they had before, and boys who did not do their service has some limitations.

It is damn long: it is about 2 years of service, and that is long enough to destroy a life, to lose many things when you are in the prime of your life.

If a boy does not do his military service, there are many limitations for him. He can’t get a driver’s license, he can’t get a passport to leave the country and travel abroad, he can’t continue his education if it has been interrupted, he can’t have insurance as it is kind of illegal for companies to hire boys who have not done their military service. And, recently the military service organization said they will arrest any boy who did not do his service!

There are many talented Iranians who are living in Europe, US and other countries who would like to return to Iran but they are afraid if they come back and they will be forced to do 2 years of military service and won’t be able to get a passport when they are here. These people can be very helpful for the country but they are staying away because of military service.

Do we really need young educated/experienced boys as ordinary soldiers? Why is the military not making good use of their skills, talents, and experience?

Compulsory military service is not what a republic country like Iran should have. If you ask any boy, you will understand that just a very small percentage of them are fine with military service. Military service needs to be challenged and changed.