35 Years of a Volunteer Force

July 1, 1973 the United States Military became an all volunteer force. Gone were the days of the conscription 0r 'The Draft'. For 35 years, through much of the Cold War, Panama, Greneda, Bosnia, Kosovo, Desert Storm, Somalia, and the Great War on Terror, every member of the military has been a volunteer. They stood up and said "Take Me." They raised their hands to take the oath and said "I mean it."

I remember July 1, 1973 vividly. There were many celebrations by the anti-war crowds, just as there were celebrations by the military crowds, though for quite different reasons. What started as a political victory for the anti Vietnam war crowd, has become the backbone and strength of our current military. I remember people believing that an all volunteer force would cause the disappearance of the military. What has happened has been quite different. It has created a strength of people that begins with them wanting to be where they are, united for a common goal. It has created a higher rate of re-enlistments and career soldiers.

Source: Gazing At The Flag (Go read the whole thing)

Commentary

Well, since this was a liberal attempt to destroy the military of the United States by Liberals, it failed...as dictated by Quinn's Fist Law:

"Liberalism always generates the exact opposite of its stated intent. "

And I cannot help but notice that the Liberals have noticed their mistake, and are trying to correct that by bringing back the draft. They will, of course, fail in that effort because Americans have seen how successful an all-volunteer force is, and the high caliber of people it attracts.

I salute the young men and women who volunteer for national service, and serve our nation in the military. These men and women leave the service with a great love for our nation, and pass it along to their children, and they add so much to our communities by their fine example.

The very existence of an all volunteer force has transformed this nation into something even greater than it has been. At the end of the Battle of Viet Nam...our morale was low, and the evil forces of Socialism were on the march everywhere. We appeared to be in decline. Then, the draft was removed...and the Citizen-Soldier was reborn...like the Minute Men of Old.

Our national fortunes changed. By the time Reagan became President...he had something to work with, and he was able to win the Cold War [World War III] using the professional military force as part of his toolkit.

And now, 35 years later, our military has achieved some of the most breath-taking military victories in the history of the world, among the latest was the Desert Shield/Desert Storm Operations which liberated a nation (which is what we do best, as Americans) and were in the process of removing the dictator responsible when (like in Viet Nam) the political leadership halted the advance...and allowed evil to live to fight another day.

Now, our all volunteer force have liberated two nations (Afghanistan and Iraq), and are working on a third (the Philippines) as we fight a Global War on Terrorism (World War IV) against those Islamists who would establish a Global Caliphate, and plunge the world into a truly Dark Age.

"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few"
--Winston Churchill