In the Washington Post, Washington lawyer and former DoD consultant Elliot Feldman argues for the permanence of the all-volunteer force:
The answer does not lie in larger forces that we cannot afford nor in a coercive system that is inherently unfair. The U.S. military must rely on volunteers, but we must also be fair and generous with them. They need reasonable compensation and the prospect of fulfilling professional careers, recognizing the complexity and sophistication of modern warfare. They must be treated with gratitude and respect, with premier health care and a future should they elect to return to civilian life. All of that is expensive, but not nearly as expensive, we seem to have forgotten, as a draft.
In January, the Nixon Foundation and the National Archives hosted a legacy forum on President Nixon’s initiative to end the draft, and create the all-volunteer Force, ideas that have roots as early as the 1968 campaign:
Jonathan Movroydis is the Director of Communications at the Richard Nixon Foundation.