[steeljack]

the US ended conscription /national service/the draft soon after the end of the conflict in Vietnam , since then it has been an all volunteer military ie all the US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan are like the British forces, all volunteer, although....Some folks think that they have been drafted/conscripted since they are members of various national guard units ,similar to to the UK home guard during WW2 [ dads army units to be used for home defense in case of foriegn attack] and they never thought they would be mobilized for overseas duty.
As for the Vietnam Vets recieving a bad reception on returning back to the US , I think this is more an urban myth than anything , I know and have worked with plenty of guys who were over there and never has anyone of them said they were given a bad reception on returning home .
I agree with what Jambutty said in an earlier post about the treatment of returning British service personnel , its allways been the case of ,okay the wars is over , thanks , now ****** off ........(read the Rudyard Kipling poem Tommy )
Tommy
I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o'beer,
The publican 'e up an' sez, "We serve no red-coats here."
The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:

O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away";
But it's ``Thank you, Mister Atkins,'' when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's ``Thank you, Mr. Atkins,'' when the band begins to play.

I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, wait outside";
But it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide,
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide.

Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.

Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy how's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.

We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints:
Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;

While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, fall be'ind,"
But it's "Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind,
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's "Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind.

You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country," when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
But Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool - you bet that Tommy sees!

Another difference between the UK and US forces is that the US after the end of WW2 has allways tried to bring its dead home for burial , none of the stiff upper lip, laying in a foriegn field stuff , infact last week some remains from the Korean conflict were returned stateside and recieved full military funerals, as recently as the Falklands war the British war dead were still being buried in battlefield gravesites and not returned to the UK.