Forty-Seven Years of the All-Volunteer Force: Mitigating Future Risks Associated With the Civil Military Gap
Abstract
In 1973, America eliminated compulsory service and established the All-Volunteer Force (AVF) to man its military. Forty-seven years later, quality and education metrics within the military are considerably higher than when the AVF started. However, there is significant evidence that a gap exists between the civilian populace and its military. Nearly 50 years of literature documents the presence of the civil-military gap and address the question of who serves when not all serve? There is less documentation regarding the macro-level issues that caused the gap to widen since 1973. This analysis of the AVF studies the history of civil-military relations to determine the viability of reinstituting the draft as a method to repair civil-military relations. Next, it analyzes the macro-level issues impacting the AVF and the military's ability to meet its functional and social requirements to American society. Ultimately, the problem facing the AVF in 2020 is that fewer 18-24 year-old Americans are interested in military service because the current labor force requires a better educated worker. At the same time, enlistment standards increased resulting in fewer youth who are mentally, morally, and physically qualified for service.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1177736
Entities
People
- Jonathan W Landers
Organizations
- Marine Corps University