Military, political, and academic experts analyze recent reforms in military personnel policies, including the shift to a smaller, all-volunteer force, improved working conditions, increased pay, and better quality of life for military families.

"For more than three decades, the United States has relied on an all-volunteer force to meet its military needs. Today, the sustainability of that force is being tested with high levels of deployment and subsequent "stress." Such an environment raises the issue of how the Department of Defense can continue to manage its personnel. This report looks at the history of conscription versus volunteerism (particularly in Great Britain, France, and Prussia) to understand when and under what conditions conscription has been used effectively to raise the manpower needed. Specifically, what actions could the U.S. Army take to increase the supply of volunteers or reduce the demand for new personnel? The report also focuses on the many programs that have been developed to help military members and their families cope during difficult times, as well as the particular challenges of understanding which programs work." -- p. [4] of cover.

Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States

This book examines the extensive influence of the All-Volunteer Force (AVF) on the past, present, and future of America, demonstrating how the AVF encompasses the most significant issues of military history and defense policy. Throughout the vast majority of its wars during the twentieth century, the United States relied on a mixture of volunteers who chose to serve and conscripts provided through the Selective Service System, known colloquially as the draft. When the United States emerged as a world superpower in the aftermath of World War II, U.S. policymakers also depended on the draft during peacetime. Drawing on primary source documents, this book guides readers through the transition from the draft to the AVF and analyzes its history, results, challenges, and implications. Each chapter provides an overview of the issues of the time, recounts the ensuing debates and developments around them, and examines how they manifested themselves relative to the advent of the AVF and American society during times of peace and war. Combining narrative with documents, The Advent of the All-Volunteer Force is a valuable resource for students, scholars, policymakers, and general readers interested in modern American history, military history, and the dynamic linkages between policy, politics, and American society.

Committee Serial No. 12. Considers the extension of the Universal Military Training and Service Act to provide for the conscription of men for compulsory military service, and considers possible technical changes in the Act to provide a more equitable means of drafting servicemen.