The Advent of the All-Volunteer Force: Protecting Free Society

This book explores the history, results, challenges, and implications of the transition from the draft to the All-Volunteer Force (AVF) in the United States, using primary source documents to guide readers through the transition and analyze its impact on American society during times of peace and war.

Format: Hardback
Length: 204 pages
Publication date: 10 March 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The United States military has relied on a combination of volunteers and conscripts throughout its history, with the All-Volunteer Force (AVF) becoming the primary force in recent decades. This book examines the extensive influence of the AVF on the past, present, and future of America, demonstrating how it encompasses the most significant issues of military history and defense policy.

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.

Weight: 570g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367476830