The age requirement for military enlistment should be raised to the age of 21. Our nation's youth cannot make all adult decisions when they reach the age of 18- such as purchasing alcohol or tobacco products.                                                                     If they cannot be trusted to make these decisions why is our government actively pursuing 17 and 18 year olds to make decisions that could result in a violent death, tremendous bodily injuries or irreversible mental health trauma. Most young people join the military because they believe it is their best opportunity to receive continued education. Our country needs to create opportunities for our youth that doesn't run a high risk to life and limb.                                        It's absurd that our soldiers are expected to risk their lives, but aren't considered responsible enough to decide if they want to light up a cigarette or have a beer. We need to have a uniform consensus of what age constitutes an adult.                                                   I understand our government's fear that raising the age limit would greatly reduce our military size. Many people might make a different choice if they felt like they had other options. Maybe- just maybe our leaders would be much more cautious with the lives of our loved ones if they weren't so readily replaced.