Serving in the military does more harm than good.

I will use this round for rebuttals as agreed in the initial round. C1: Economic benefitsA. Up-front money does not justify long hoursMy opponent says that the median salary is around $50,000 and tax exempt. However, military members are considered to be on duty at all times [2, pg2]. A salary of $50,000 does not justify the long hours that military members work. According to my opponent's source, the $50,000 actually includes overtime pay [1]. By comparison, a typical civilian works 8hrs a day compared with a military member who works an unknown number of hours and is on duty 24hrs a day. Military members are also unable to resign, change jobs at will or negotiate pay [2]. While military members have their housing paid for, they live in barracks with a roommate or two. Their right to privacy is severely limited and it is difficult for them to spend time by themselves to relax or have sex with their partner (or themselves). In fact, having sex is frowned upon by the military [3] and may lead to pregnancies. Withholding the right to have sex for years can have a negative effect on the person's morale. Even if they do have sex, they cannot do so without anyone watching [3]. Therefore military housing is not worth it. B. Indirect moneyThe ability to get health insurance is not specific to the military. Many civilian jobs also offer health insurance as well as retirement plans and pensions. My opponent's contention that military members are paid more than government employees is outweighed by my previous point that they work overtime and are on duty 24hrs a day. C. Specific advantagesThe three specific advantages offerred by my opponent are college tuition, health care and retirement plans. Retirement plans are also found in civilian jobs without the associated risks. College tuition can be paid for through student loans, financial aid and scholarships none of which require an arm and a leg which the military literally might require. I also pointed out during my opening argument that Veterans benefits and college tuition may not always come on time and the individual is powerless to contest this against the might of the military. Medical care in the military is not at all what it is cracked up to be. According to the Washington Post, Walter Reed, one of the Army's top medical facility is in a terrible condition with mouse droppings, belly-up cockroaches, stained carpets, cheap mattresses [5]. "Disengaged clerks, unqualified platoon sergeants and overworked case managers fumble with simple needs" and soldiers feared Army retribution if they complained publicly [5]. C2: EmploymentAs per my opponent's source "Veterans' preference does not guarantee veterans a job and it does not apply to internal agency actions such as promotions, transfers, reassignments and reinstatements. " This means that the federal government can transfer the veteran to whatever department they wish. Also, if a servicemember had chosen to get relevant work experience in his chosen field, he would be preferred or at least be on the same level as a military member without work experience who was wasting his time serving in the militaryWhile my opponents points employers who are military friendly, it must be kept in mind that serving in the military takes years which could be used to gain relevant work experience. For example, while some employers may prefer a military veteran who served 5 years in the military all other things being equal, a candidate who used their 5 yrs working in a relevant civilian job will not only be preferred but will get a higher pay due to their years of relevant experience. C3: Personal improvementsA. Physical healthPhysical health of the military cannot be denied but there are two points to consider: Firstly, the high risk of physical harm outweighs the benefit of physical conditioning. People returning with severe injuries will almost certainly not be in great physical health. Secondly, civilians too can be in good physical health if they work out. In this case, they would actually have more inner motivation to work out as there is no one yelling at them to do push ups and the drive needs to come from within. B. ExperienceMy opponent says that members can get relevant experience in the military but here's the problem: They can't choose their jobs. Military assignments are extremely complex. Here is how they work. First duty assignments: The deciding factor in assignments is where the military needs the member the most. If that's where the member wanted to work, it works out, if not, he is sent there anyways. Talk about getting screwed! Although future assigments give a little more leeway, there are riddled with restrictions. [5]Careers: For a member to get a job of their choice, not only must they be qualified for it, there must also be an available vacancy which is entirely a luck of the draw [6]. Relevant work experience is not a reason to join the military. Choice is the main reason to avoid the military whether with jobs, assignments etc because, in the military, the military chooses, not the servicemember. C4: Most people who join the military don't regret itVeterans make up 25% of homeless people though they only form 11% of the general population [8]. While my opponent points out a survey that shows that most Vietnam veterans don't regret serving, here is an article from the Times which shows that the 6000 veterans took their lives in 2005 alone and the rate of suicide among veterans is twice the national average [7]. In fact, more American military veterans have been committing suicide than US soldiers have been dying in Iraq [7]. This shows that the physical and mental damage that comes from joining the military is not worth it at all. Sources[1] . http://1.usa.gov...[2] . http://1.usa.gov...[3] . http://bit.ly...[4] . http://wapo.st...[5] . http://bit.ly...[6] . http://bit.ly...[7] . http://thetim.es...[8] . http://usat.ly...