Since the Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775, which started the American Revolution; during the 242 years between when those 8 Americans died and today, our country has conscripted its armed forces for only 35 years. The rest of the time we have had a volunteer army. Conscription, commonly known as the draft, has been used by our federal government in only four conflicts: the American Civil War, World War I, World War II and the Cold War, which included both the Korean War and the Vietnam War. For Americans over 60, all they knew was the draft, but in the history of our country the draft was in place for only 15% of our existence. But the upheaval caused by the Vietnam War draft, which persuaded President Nixon to create the Gates Commission that concluded the nation’s interests, are better served by an all-volunteer force — put in place today our all-volunteer military. In 2004 it again became quite evident that Congress does not want a military draft when the House of Representatives defeated a bill that would have required “all young persons in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense”. The vote was 402-2 against this bill.
Who now serves in our volunteer army? According to Business Insider, 44% of all military recruits come from the south region of the US despite having only 36% of the country’s 18-24 year old civilian population. The northeast is the most underrepresented region of the country, with only 14% of new enlistments. One theory for this discrepancy is enlistment rates are higher in states that have more exposure to large military bases. 15% of our active military are women. According to Fortune, the Pentagon reports that 80% of recent troops come from a family where at least one parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle, sibling or cousin has also worn our nation’s uniform. This rate is 86% in the Air Force, 82% in the Navy, 79% in the Army and 77% in the Marines. Whereas the draft once acted as a national eggbeater, whipping young people of different creeds, races, economic circumstances and divergent backgrounds into a unified fighting force, today’s all-volunteer force puts a disproportionate burden of service on existing military families. As our military shrinks, we will have to reach outside of our current military family bloodlines to find new recruits. We do have a veteran population of over 22 million distributed throughout the nation, and veterans are more likely than non-veterans to recommend military service to young people, so these veterans are crucial in helping us to sustain an all-volunteer force.
71% of America’s 34 million 18-24 year olds would not qualify for military service today, according to Time. They are ineligible because they lack a High School diploma or GED, have a criminal history, take prescription drugs for certain health issues, have asthma, eyesight or hearing problems, or mental health issues. And 30% of our youth who do take the Armed Forces Qualification Test, the entrance test required to join the US military, fail the test. So how are we going to keep this all-volunteer army alive and well?
Earlier this year, according to USA Today, the Army is spending $300 million in a blitz of bonuses and advertising to recruit an additional 6,000 soldiers to fill its ranks. Our fighting force is the smartest and most stable force since we have gone all-volunteer, so these additional benefits should continue to attract the most qualified candidates. 92% of our current force has a high school diploma compared to half of that in 1973. Of active duty officers, 95% have bachelors degrees and 38% have advanced degrees. Because our military has become a larger career force, 49% of enlisted personnel are married and 68% of all active duty officers are married.
Our military volunteers are very dedicated to keeping our country safe. But this lifestyle puts an additional strain on their families. The military way of life with frequent moves, deployments and heightened care-giving responsibilities means a staggering 21% of military spouses are unemployed. Military couples move an average of 8.6 times in 20 years of marriage, which is twice as high as the civilian rate moves.
This month of May is full of celebrations honoring our military and their families. May 1 is Loyalty Day, which started in the 1920s to counter the rise of communism by taking a day to appreciate our armed forces. May 8 is V-E Day (Victory in Europe), which commemorates the end of fighting in Europe during World War II. Military Spouse Day is May 12 and it celebrates the heroes behind our volunteers. Armed Forces Day, created to honor all branches of the service, is on May 20. Lastly, Memorial Day is on May 29 and it is dedicated to the military men and women who have given their lives for our country.
During this month of celebration and remembrance, there is much America has to think about concerning our state of the military. We have poor performing VA hospitals, homeless veterans on the streets, and veterans who do not want to live. How did we let this happen to the heroes who volunteer to keep us the freest country on Earth? It is time for our communities to step up and help all veterans, because to make the military an attractive career to young people, they must see we take care of our own. Besides celebrating our military with all of these special days in May, we must all do more than just wave the American flag or take the day off to watch the parade. We have to help our veterans transition from military life to civilian life, so if you own a business, make a real effort to hire veterans. Or if you are not an employer, you can still help by donating to Hire Heroes, a nonprofit dedicated to creating job opportunities for veterans and their spouses. Another great organization to donate to is Welcome Back Veterans, which was created to help returning veterans. One of my personal favorites is Soldiers’ Angels and you can donate directly on their site or through their Wish List. At Veterans Volunteer Service, there are over 140,000 volunteers giving more than 11 million hours in service to America’s veterans. It is impossible to calculate the amount of caring and sharing these volunteers provide to veteran patients through the VA Hospitals. And at DollarDays, we also want to help Veterans and veteran families, so nominate a family here to win one of our $500 shopping sprees this month.
These military volunteers, veterans and their families are our friends and the bravest our communities have to offer. They have sacrificed everything for us. Now it is our turn to do the same for them.