The Deep Unfairness of America’s All-Volunteer Force

The reality is not everyone can serve in the Armed Forces. We have less than 1% of the population serving at any given time. It has been higher in some periods (major wars) but that is where it has been for a number of decades.

It is unreasonable, in my opinion, to hold a lack of service against someone's patriotism since we know it is an impossibility that all could or would serve based upon the size of the armed forces.

It is not pseudo patriotism for someone to love and appreciate their country, flag, Constitution, Bill of Rights etc. It is not false patriotism when they are offended that people would disrespect the flag, anthem or country. If only those that served in the armed forces can be proper patriots, patriotism is in trouble. There are not enough of us around.

I will give you an example. My wife is British, she is a legal resident and has been for 35 years. Our son is a United States Marine and has been for 7 years. She never served in the US or British armed forces. She loves this country and stands for the anthem and is offended that others would not. She isn't even a citizen but loves this country.

Agree. “The society that separates its scholars from its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting by fools.” – Thucydides

This turned out to be a long and tedious read filled with statistics, all leading to "The AVF will not work". I was still on active duty when the AVF was initiated, at that time this lowly E5 at that time, was at first elated that the Viet Nam war was ended. I was not looking forward to another tour to that conflict. What I also felt was that if we were to enter into another long and bloody conflict those lining up to serve would be very short.
In short there is only two conclusions that the article and I seem to have come to:

1. Get out of the middle east, let them govern themselves and fight for themselves. Chalk it up as another loss (it didn't take 16 years for the Russians to come to that conclusion) and prepare for the next which I'm sure will me one without ground troops, it will be nuclear! The "Rocket Man" and Iran will see to that.
2. End the AVF and instate the draft, with out any deferments other than medical. In other words every able bodied man and woman reaching the age of 18 has their name in the hat. Once their name is drawn they must serve on active duty in either the Army, Air Force, Marines or Navy.