The Importance of Maintaining an All-Volunteer Army During an Extended War
Abstract
In its history, the United States has never had to fight an extended war with an all volunteer force. However, this is the situation that the United States is in today and will likely be in for the next several years. The ability to sustain an all-volunteer force will not come without its challenges. There is a new generation of youth that has its own identity and thoughts on military service. Not unlike past generations, they are still influenced in their decision making process by key people such as parents, teachers, employers and clergy. How does the war play in the minds of the youth and those who influence them? How effective is the new Army of One advertising campaign? Is the campaign focused on the current generation of youth? The economy is expected to go through changes during the war years. How adaptive is Army recruiting to economic swings and how will it ensure a consistent level of recruiting success? The all-volunteer force is definitely on the minds of the nation's political leaders and there is even talk of reinstituting the draft as a means to ensure that personnel requirements can be met as missions continue to expand across the globe. What will it take to ensure that a draft isn't brought back? The military is transforming and the Services' respective recruiting commands will be expected to recruit for war and transform their organizations in order to remain relevant. What are the prospects for a joint "purple" recruiting command? The intent of this project will be to answer these questions and show the importance of sustaining the all-volunteer force.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 18, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA432484
Entities
People
- Robert L. Manning
Organizations
- United States Army War College