Military Marks Half-Century of the All-Volunteer Force

By any measure, America's all-volunteer military force has been a success as the article states. It is still a constitutional requirement for Congress to raise an Army and maintain a Navy. I joined when the last of the Vietnam-era draftees were leaving and the volunteers who had joined during the Vietnam-era did so to avoid being drafted into an assignment where they had no choice. Most of the people I served with were volunteers and not drafted. Most Americans today would not be asked to serve, but males still must register for selective service on their 18th birthday or risk loss of some federal benefits.