Title: Military manpower and the all-volunteer force
Description: An overview of the broad trends and policies that have emerged during the transition from the selective service draft to an all-volunteer military. The report is divided into three parts. Part I discusses the factors underlying the decision to end the draft. The analysis shows that the AVF was essentially the only viable alternative for eliminating the inequities of the draft. Part II examines the early AVF experience and concludes that the AVF has succeeded in attracting a socially representative mix of the desired quantity and quality of recruits at a substantially lower cost than is commonly assumed. Part III examines broader implications raised by the removal of the draft, showing that major changes in manpower utilization and management are required to provide an effective defense at a cost the American public is willing to pay, and that the removal of the draft provides an opportunity for making such changes.
Subjects: Armed Forces, Draft, Manpower policy, Recruiting, enlistment, Voluntary Military service
Places: United States