We Need a National Service Program!

We could solve a lot of problems with a National Service program. Every 18 year old who is not severely disabled would be required to serve the country for a minimum of 4 years. It could be Americore, Peace Corps or Military but they must serve.
All the benefits of Military Service would apply to Americore or Peace Corps. Eduction benefits, health care benefits, loan programs, and a lifetime a gratitude for National Service. It would take young people to places they could not imagine and help them understand cultural differences. They would receive job training and work experience while learning to work beside people from across the country - many who don't look like them. They could choose to serve for 20 years and earn a retirement as they work up the "ranks", serving as supervisors and managers.
The benefits to the nation would be dynamic, depending on the objectives of the National Service Program. Anyone who has served in the military can attest to how service opened their eyes and had a dramatic impact on their entire lives. Even those who bare scars (physical and emotional) from war time service, can recount the impact of working side by side with people who grew up differently than we did. For me, it helped to grow an appreciation for diversity. I remember being introduced to okra and black eyed peas by true southerners and the impact of being the only white person in the house. I remember how it felt to be the only person in the room that couldn't speak the language. I was in kind and welcoming situations but I was the "different" one. That was new to me.
Beyond my own experiences, I met people who shared their experiences. I heard the first hand account of a former POW who suffered 8 years in Vietnam. I spent many hours with a co-worker who shared stories about what it was like to be an American woman serving in Turkey. I served with Mexican/Americans from the West Coast. I rode horses with friends from the mid-west. I heard about growing up in Queens, NY. I heard about life in the Philippines.
Americore programs could have a huge impact on our country. These people would serve within the United States. I would urge that these young people be dispersed to areas far from home. Insure that rural youth are assigned for at least a year in an urban setting and visa versa. Send them to work on infrastructure projects, at National or State Parks, in non-profit agencies and in municipal roles. It would provide much needed resources.
Peace Corps service would take young people around the world. They would serve in international roles helping with projects in countries where help is needed. These are not political projects. They are real world, working with community, and helping with needs in impoverished areas. It would do much to boost the image of the United States around the world and those young people would return with international understanding.
National Service would bridge many societal gaps. I left the military and finished my degree without taking on debt to do it. While serving, I took advantage of the Montgomery Bill and contributed to my education fund with a dollar for dollar match. I never needed any of the other benefits until recently using the VA medical. I am thankful for all that those few services gave me - far more benefit than I put in. We need a generation or two of people who share that same sense of gratitude. I believe a National Service Program would do that!