I agree with you. Like all the French kids of that time (back 25 years ago) I did my 'military service'. I got into the Air Force as a spoiled kid and left as a man with values and respect for others. Unfortunatly they stopped the mandatory duty few years later and I think that was a big mistake. I happened to do more than my mandatory 18 months by personal choice and then served in the reserve later. I learnt a great deal from this experience.