A Widening Values Gap Between the US Military and American Society: Are the Alarmists Right?
Abstract
Some pundits warn that our military culture increasingly reflects a different set of values than those that prevail in American society. The military is predominantly conservative, while American society is predominantly liberal. The military is also more politically active than in the past. The All Volunteer Force, the drawdown, base closures, frequent deployments, etc., have increased the military's isolation from American society, perpetuating this trend and spawning an elitist mindset. A significant values gap between a large military and its society is unhealthy in a democracy. It is in our national interest to counteract this divergence. Any methodology that increases the flow of citizens through military service and back into American society in significant numbers would diminish over time the values gap between American society and its military. Several methods are examined. An option that appears both feasible and potentially effective is an expanded military service program that offers tiered enlistment options, to include large scale short term enlistments with incentives. Such a proposal would replicate the citizen soldier dynamics in place during the peacetime draft, yet would rely on politically acceptable voluntary military service.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 08, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA342746
Entities
People
- Mary L. Torgersen
Organizations
- United States Army War College