I think mandatory service is a good idea. The only idea to know what the servicemen/women are going through is to have served yourself. Personally, I would hate military service (I'd get pissed for having the drill sergeant yell at me).
Well, it's not like I have been in Afghanistan or anything but you do have another connection to the men and women serving there if they are your comrades.
However I can't claim to know how it actually is to be part of an actual foreign deployment, especially in such a rather dangerous enviroment.
And about the basic training and drill sergeants:
I was shitting my pants the day of arrivial. I didn't know what was awaiting me, how my fellow recruits are going to be etc. etc. but in the end it really wasn't so bad, even when I got on the bad side of a certain
Stabsunteroffizier, you get through it and afterwards you can laugh at the recruits after you. :wink: