The Volunteer Army
Rule of Unintended Consequences
For those of us of a certain age (and by that, I mean older than about 60), the “Draft” was a constant threat, hanging over us as we attended High School. Conscription, “the draft” in American parlance, is not new. In fact, it has been in place for centuries in different forms and is still active in much of the world.
(Very) Brief History of Conscription
As an American, this essay is going to focus on the United States’ implementation and experience. It is a fair example of modern implementation. But conscription has a much much longer history.
Men have been pressed into service since the start of written history - and probably before. It was normally used for a limited time, usually the duration of a conflict. And it was often coercive. The requirement of military service is different than the use of warriors that have chosen a military lifestyle. Often conscription was directed towards captured enemy combatants and slaves. The use of slaves as fighters was intermittently used in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Modern Conscription, depending on which culture you view, started with French Revolution, codified in the laws in 1798.
The French Republic - and subsequent regimes in France - began European conscription. The French Republica officials stated that all men of France owed the Republic some amount of service to protect France from attacks from countries lead by Monarchs. In the Franco – Prussian wars in the early 1800s, conscription proved effective. Vast numbers of French conscripted soldiers overwhelmed the Prussian forces, which at the time were considered some of the best in the world. After those loses Prussia and other European countries adopted some version of conscription to swell their fighting forces, instead of depending on volunteer recruits or a much smaller number of professional soldiers.
The first use of conscription in the United States was during the American Civil War, used by both the Union and Confederate forces. Its early implementation was unequal since a person could get out of duty by paying $300 or by finding a substitute draftee. Reaction to this brought on riots in New York, where the draft fell primarily on Black and Irish Americans.
World War I brought widespread adoption of conscription, including in the United States. In times of conflict the base of conscripts were expanded by age. For example, the United States started conscription during World War I for the ages of 21 – 30. As the war demands grew, the ages effected were increased to 18 – 45 years.
Between World Wars I and II conscription was abandoned in the United States, only to expand voraciously at the start of World War II. The draft was maintained throughout the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
US Demonstrations and Changes
The draft heralded national changes both in legal and cultural ways. Legally the 26th Amendment gave Americans aged 18 – 20 the right to vote. It passed threshold of 38 state approvals in 1971 (in less than 5 months!). The argument in favor was that if 18 year olds had to enter the army and fight in Vietnam, they should be given the right to vote.
Culturally, demonstrations against the draft (and the War itself) spread throughout the nation. College students held mass demonstrations, including taking over buildings in many Universities including U of Wisconsin, UC Berkeley, and other major colleges and universities. Demonstrations at Kent State resulted the shooting of 14 students by law enforcement, killing 4. As the draft affected more and more families of the middle and upper classes, national sentiment swung against conscription. Political pressure forced and an end to it in 1973. Conscription registration was reinstituted in 1980, but actual conscription has not happened in the United States since registration was adopted.
Since 1973 the military in the United States has been made up of volunteers. At various times different incentives have been used to bolster the volunteer forces. Singing bonuses, higher pay, better health care and education systems and post-service financial inducements have been used at various times.
End of Conscription: Consequences Intended and Unintended
The end of conscription was greeted joyfully by most American and American families, and particularly by families with draft age boys.
The volunteer army has also been a success in military terms. The American military is made up of men and women that look to the military either out of a desire to better themselves, or serve in a time of crisis, or a family history. But in any case, it is a choice. A choice that often offers a path out of poverty. The military is a merit-based organization, and one where the merit is based on what occurs after enlistment. It is an even playing field in the non-commissioned ranks.
On the other hand, a volunteer military has exposed some serious issues.
1. Military service is far removed from most Americans. In the days of universal conscription nearly every American family had a stake in conflicts involving America. Would the War in Afghanistan have lasted 20 years if conscription made all Americans think about the war and acknowledge it? AND may lose family members? Would we still engage in wars of choice like the invasion of Iraq if we all had knowledge anyone could be forced to serve there at any time?
2. American wars have become invisible. We all know about Afghanistan and Iraq as wars we are involved in. But the killing of military in Mali in 2017 was a surprise to most of us. Most Americans did not even know we had forces in Mali. And our forces are spread throughout the globe. Since these are invisible to most Americans, there is much less pressure to end conflicts.
3. Americans are a less tolerant of diversity. In the days of draft, Americans of all ethnicities, income, and political positions worked together. Under enemy fire, people are dependent on their comrades. Color and ethnic differences lose their distinctions. Even in today’s military, attitudes towards other Americans are much less polarized than in non-military life. At every age group the military and most ex-military members are less prejudiced than comparable groups who were not in the military.
Options
Many countries (see graphic) define compulsory National Service to mean more than the military. US politicians have proposed a choice of service including military service, teaching, the Peace Corps and other forms of required service.
These proposals haven’t progressed much because Americans are comfortable in the current environment. Asking voters with children to elect members which will then require service is not popular in practice, although very popular in the abstract.
Future
Autonomous weapons, remotely controlled drones, bombers, and naval escorts reduce the need for an ever-larger military. Given the popularity of the current situation in both military and civilian opinions, I don’t expect much of a change.
And I can’t see anyone proposing an acceptable alternative. In terms of American conflicts, ignorance is bliss.