The American military's All-Volunteer Force (AVF) recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. At the time of the post-Vietnam War move to end American military conscription, it was unclear whether a force comprised solely of volunteers could effectively meet the nation's security needs. Yet over the past twenty years, the AVF has grown larger, more generously resourced, and more capable than it had ever previously been absent an active major conflict. In Bend but Do Not Break, a broad range of experts assess the long-term viability of the AVF. To do this, they address a host of challenges facing the AVF and, by extension, the politicized environment in which it operates. An informed and balanced look at the AVF, this book considers the future of the force and asks the wider question of whether it continues to serve the needs of national security or individuals in the military.
Foreword: AVF Debates and the Historical Significance of the Moment
-Eliot A. Cohen
Introduction: An Inflection Point
-Jaron S. Wharton and Jason K. Dempsey
Chapter 1: The Civil-Military Gap and the Future of Recruiting and Mobilization
-Marybeth Ulrich
Chapter 2: Population Demographics and Recruiting Considerations from a Macro Perspective
-Dennis Laich
Chapter 3: Polarization, Politicization, and the Future of Democratic Civil-Military Relations
-Ronald R. Krebs and Robert Ralston
Chapter 4: Can Our Military Be Political Without Becoming Partisan?
-Bishop Garrison and Kori Schake
Chapter 5: Norm Deterioration in U.S. Civil-Military Relations
-Risa A. Brooks and Heidi A. Urben
Chapter 6: The Future of the "All-Volunteer Family"
-Miriam Krieger
Chapter 7: Money Matters: Modernizing the Military Compensation System
-Brandon J. Archuleta
Chapter 8: Displaced not Replaced: People, Technology, and the Future of the All-Volunteer Force
-Cole Livieratos
Chapter 9: Balancing Military Influence in National Security
-Todd Schmidt and Ambassador David Miller
Chapter 10: Diminishing Legislative Oversight: Congress and the AVF
-Danielle L. Lupton
Chapter 11: The Future Adventures of the All-Volunteer Force
-Keith L. Carter, Max Z. Margulies, and Isaiah Wilson III
Chapter 12: The Future of the Total Force: What Will It Mean to Be a Citizen-Soldier?
-Jessica D. Blankshain and Lindsay P. Cohn
Chapter 13 What Should We Owe Our Veterans?
-Michael Meese
Conclusion: Sustaining the All-Volunteer Force
-Carrie A. Lee
Afterword: Trust in the Military and the Legitimacy of the All-Volunteer Force
-Peter D. Feaver
Bibliography
Index
