We had until about a decade ago a system in Germany that forced us to choose between 9 months of military service or 9 months of civil service (everything from emergency service to elderly care). It was highly unfair in the sense that women were exempt and all male with physical "disabilities" unfit for military service were also exempt from civil service. (I put disabilities in quotation marks, because people found ridiculous things that never impacted them in regular life that gave them an exemption for military service; think the chronic backpain of the sports team captain.)
It made sense to give up mandatory military service, but I still think it was a bad idea we also gave up the civil service system instead of making it fair and mandatory for everyone.
It made sense to give up mandatory military service, but I still think it was a bad idea we also gave up the civil service system instead of making it fair and mandatory for everyone.