Inflation and recession at home. Humiliation abroad. In the wake of the Vietnam War, America was foundering. Yet, the seeds of a national resurgence had already been planted by a most unlikely pair: Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman and Melvin R. Laird, Richard Nixon’s secretary of defense. Throughout most of the Cold War, the United States used the draft to fill its military ranks. Previously, we had resorted to conscription only during hot wars — the Civil War and the two World Wars. But Cold War Congresses went along with …
The decision by Congress to establish an all-volunteer force in 1973 ensured that American citizens have “the freedom to pursue their careers where and how they choose – in essence their right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The all-volunteer system, while expensive, has proven to be consistent with American values and well worth the costs required to recruit and retain highly-skilled and increasingly mobile professionals. Ensuring that America’s soldiers are sufficiently compensated for their invaluable service to their nation is and should always remain a top priority of …
