Many employers complain that youth seeking jobs are often unqualified. France has said conscription will continue despite wide unpopularity. A poll published early this month showed that 85 percent of the French wanted an all-professional army like in the U.S. or Britain. He noted that alternatives to the armed forces included helping protect the environment or joining the police. Only those conscripts who volunteer participate in France's frequent military forays abroad, such as Rwanda or Bosnia.
Most soldiers serving abroad are professionals.
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