The Professionalization of the U.S. Army In Times of Conflict
The Difficult Transition from Mandatory Military Service to a Professional Army During the Vietnam War
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18172/brocar.7327Keywords:
Recruitment, Volunteer Force, incentive, planningAbstract
In 1968, 455,176 men and women joined the United States Army. More than half of that number came in involuntarily as draftees, and of the remaining 200,000 'volunteers,' half did so under draft pressure. By 1974, 166,798 men and women enlisted for the first time; all were true volunteers. The process of converting from a draft-based army to a professional one had ended. Ending its reliance on the draft wasn’t an easy task for the U.S. Army, but overall, the transition to an all-volunteer force was an orderly and successful process. The history of that transition shows the key role played by the Army Staff and the Secretary of the Army in shaping the Army as it underwent deep changes in the very essence of its historical structure. In fact, failing to achieve a smooth transition or to produce a new army that could be supported by the nation could have been catastrophic for the country and the defense of its interests on an international and geostrategic level.
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