Recruiting Implications of the Long War for the Marine Corps
Abstract
The Marine Corps is facing tremendous challenges in meeting global commitments and sustaining a proper force dwell time while remaining postured as America's 911 force. To this end, President Bush approved a proposal to increase personnel in the Marine Corps over the next 5 years to an end-strength goal of 202,000 Marines. Faced with the reality of a "long war" and the absence of a draft, the Marine Corps must meet annual recruitment objectives under the auspices of the all-volunteer force (AVF). These are uncharted waters for the Marine Corps, as it has never had to fight a war of duration requiring substantial troop deployments without the benefit of the draft. The draft was in affect for World Wars I and II, the Korean War, and most of the Vietnam War. On 1 July 1973, the AVF was born, thus ending the military's reliance upon conscription to satisfy wartime personnel shortages. Recruiting a volunteer force during a violent, kinetic war is extremely difficult. Can the Marine Corps meet its personnel demands without compromising recruit quality or essential diversity of the force? This research project examines three critical aspects of recruiting during the Long War: (1) quantity, (2) quality, and (3) diversity of the force. This research reveals that the Marine Corps has been successful in attracting sufficient numbers of new applicants, sustaining a high quality level of recruits, and recruiting women and Hispanics, but it has been unable to attract sufficient numbers of African Americans. It also reveals that the nation's elite are refraining from service. Recommendations are provided to sustain positive trends and reverse negative trends in attracting ample quantity and quality recruits for the future.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA490672
Entities
People
- Walker M. Field
Organizations
- Marine Corps University