A fully volunteer army

 A fully volunteer army
by Milton. Friedman
recruit people for military service the existing legal authority, will be suspended on June 30. It was an odd year stay This is not accident. This is the deliberate and whom, and to ensure that the restart conscription will appear in a period: At this time neither the congressional elections approaching, there is not imminent presidential elections. So far, this strategy efficacy, such as God mm conscription in 1955, respectively, 1959 and 1963, a fresh start, and almost even minor public concern or opposition never appeared, just took a few perfunctory congressional hearings.
this year, mainly responsible for Those in the Senate that the Committee mm Senator Richard. Russell led in the House of Representatives Congressman Mendel. Rivers, who headed the Committee mm also 象以往那样 military service, have been holding hearings, but this Once, hearing their views are no longer just Lewis. B. Hershey, General and Selective Service System of a formal commitment. President Johnson has proposed that conscription means of implementation mm youngest person to give priority to the selection, military service for students excluded from relief and the introduction of a lottery-style selection system (a lottery selection system) mm to major changes. but everyone seems to want to plug in the hand on the draft legal issues.
Senator. Kennedy has organized a Labor and Public Welfare Committee, and to the issue of recruitment of manpower held hearings. to Senator William. Proxmire led the Joint Economic Committee, in its report on Vietnam on the U.S. economy the views of the hearing, also related to the same content. Senator Mark. O. Hatfield's motion for an early transition to a fully volunteer army troops rationing system was prepared. Congressman Donald. Rumsfeld and Thomas. Curtis's motion, called on Congress to quickly suspend recruitment of the feasibility study. a political factions have been left to the right of political parties to promote a wide range of volunteer support the newly established committee. so many, not a list m.
arising from the Vietnam War, this feeling, clearly explains why the recovery of conscription, in 1967, in the odd-numbered years, is not an unusual thing. But it is interesting is: we can not from a person's position on the war in derived his position on conscription. whether those who favor a stronger military action, or to stop those who favor the bombing in the north, and even those who favor complete withdrawal, support the suspension of conscription and rely on volunteers to supply troops troops. In the past few months, Barry. Goldwater wrote in his column, the three called for an end conscription, and to stop immediately. Norman. Thomas and James. Farmer also holds the same views. John. Kenneth. Galbraith, the Americans for Democratic Action Organization's new leader, has long been a forceful conscription of this approach, and effective opponents. good news is that the individual freedom of belief, the patent is neither Republican nor Democrat patents, the patent is neither the conservatives nor the liberals of the patent.
so far It is generally considered: the current conscription system is flawed and must be changes in mm or even General Hershey has made a concession. voice the views of several mm high, including Sargent. Shriver and Willard. Watts views; Robert. McNamara comments (divergence); and anthropologist Margaret. Mead's opinion (most surprising) mm strongly urged the introduction of a universal, national military service system, in this system, all the young men (and, if successful, Miss Mead, then also include all of the young woman), will be recruited to the troops in the past, and assigned to various work, each person choose one as the task of serving in the military.
but few people realize that: Although the president's proposed method of implementation will improve the recruitment, but not what kind of system depends on the force, to overcome the current draft of the fundamental flaws in the way. In the present circumstances, only a small part of the young people need to supplement the army's troops. let the people decide their own thing, then there is not any fair way to decide which young people should to military service, and which two or three which should not go to military service. not to provide military personnel it needs to attract the conditions, then the military personnel can not avoid waste and improper use, or can not be avoided the occurrence of such a situation: the use of military personnel, those in civil activities will be able to make greater contributions to the staff.
and, no doubt, any kind of force involved in the system, will be with incompatible with free society. lottery will only make the current system any more obvious components. universal, national military service system will mix these defects mm tight all the young people organize themselves in order to cover up for some young person's control.
continued use of force is both undesirable and unnecessary. We can and should be using volunteers to supply our forces troops. This is in addition to major hostilities outside the United States has been used during the traditional practices. past 20 years is the only exception. is time to end this exception.
benefits
volunteer military even in the strict sense, a voluntary force would be a more effective force . a voluntary army, the army will be those who have been chosen to supply the people _ soldiers life, not by those who rush up military service as one, not unwilling conscripts to form. It will reduce the number of personnel adjustments, and Let those who are training others or spend time training people freed to engage in other military activities. intensive training, the higher the average level of technology, more and better use of equipment. will ensure that military forces in service personnel be improved to reduce the same time. A volunteer force composed of a more important advantage. lies in its morale. the status of military service is very low now, been forced to perform as a kinds of despicable obligations. a voluntary army will resume a proper pride, the resumption of the armed forces from the implementation of the kind of important, dangerous and difficult task with a sense of the proper respect.
force will enhance the elimination of all of us free. young people will be free to decide whether to go to military service. conscription committee members will be able to get rid of such a terrible task: to decide any of a young man how to spend most of his life importance of the years not to mention any of the years mm decide whether his life at risk in the war. objector raised the troubling and can not solve the problem will disappear. We can Now for those who claim to provincial Quedui exigencies of moral or religious people who refuse military service, the deepest moral standards and beliefs survey conducted by the Liberal mm This is a person's social role is not consistent.
conscription was mm or used as a weapon, according to the idea of young people, it has been used mm to suppress such speech, freedom of assembly and protest. young people to emigrate or travel abroad freely, has been limited by such a condition that the recruitment committee needs to be allowed (if they do not want to inadvertently placed himself on the location of the offender so). conscription uncertainty that affects the young people according to their own long-term interests to plan their study, occupation, the freedom of marriage and family.
to supply armed forces with volunteer troops, for the whole country also has other real benefits. colleges and universities will be able to pursue their true function of teaching, which not only out of the way some young This young man mm to millions mm about the heavy burden: the work of these young people would rather not want to go to school, but they are now in order to avoid conscription began to stay in school; and out of their teaching function and unrelated Some debate on the issue. of course in our universities need to argue mm but this disagreement about the academic and educational debate on the issue, rather than divided on whether to grade the students debate the issue.
community will at least partly due to conscription and concluded motivated by ill-advised, premature reduction of marriage to benefit from the same time also a corresponding decline in the birth rate in the benefit. industry and government will benefit from the advantages in accordance with young people (not their The deferrable case) to engage them. equally important, the level of public discussion and state of mind may be improved mm although this may just my natural optimism of a show.
some of these benefits benefits. You can also use the lottery method to replace the existing selection methods are mm but this is only partially and only for those who clearly out of people to be eliminated.
feasible volunteers do?
When the hot war is raging in Vietnam, when we must remain more than three million more than the total number of armed forces, the proposed draft that we can give up, is not that wishful thinking? Now, people are free to join the volunteers, however, the number of people voluntarily joined the Volunteers is clearly inadequate, and that many people simply because they will be expected to why they voluntarily joined the volunteer recruitment. soldiers needed. This undeniable fact was repeatedly cited to prove that it is not feasible volunteers.
there is no evidence of this kind of thing. On the contrary it proves that: our troops are serious over pay low. join forces young people to the beginning of the salary or less than $ 45 mm per week, and this total includes not only cash and rations, including clothing, food, shelter and other supplies in kind of things. At present the initial recruits The salary is actually the first year with the 195O mm but the price is exactly the same salary increase, so if the form of products and services, said that people are now enlisted to get something, and then compared to greatly reduced. then all of a raise and now the opportunity, gave the officers and veterans with longer service. must be to induce them to continue in service. However, it can be recruited recruits 的 mm so why give him the machine provided Pay it, almost no volunteers so few people feel strange. in civil work. Most young people can get 2 channel this revenue.
order to attract more volunteers, we must improve service conditions. This means that higher initial salaries. But it also means better housing conditions, and other aspects of copies of a pleasant improvement. implies the existence of conscription army conscripts do not need to care about the requirements of mm If not enough volunteers, then click the button, Hershey, General will issue a draft order. Indeed, without the service in the military than it is now more attractive to the lack of r, which is a humanitarian army is also praise mm through the political process and the pressure generated by the effectiveness of inter-praise. but please go and ask any one of the early American soldier and see how much money is not attractive ..
young people in the choice of occupation the only factor taken into account, not even a major factor. For young people, the military has many attractive mm non-monetary, such as the opportunity to serve the country, adventure, travel, subject to training opportunities and so on. Today, they attract force not only offset the low pay, but also offset by the presence of force. Now, military service is mandatory imprisonment for a synonym. just because the army was forced to serve the young people came to existence, is almost impossible to promote a sense of pride in service. < br> salary increase, better service conditions, and in attracting young people and young people's imaginative use of personnel policy, will dramatically change the face of the military to show the overall image of the young people. and Air Force, mainly because it is so dependent on military service who meet the conditions for steady increase in the number of people. The most optimistic estimate is that: according to the actual size of our existing supply of voluntary military service to soldiers, all young people, only 1 / 4 (or less) who will have experience of military service life. The Korean War than the corresponding ratio much lower rate, then going through the Depression years of the various effects of low birth rate. This rate is also lower than in the conscription to military service under the proportion of people who, as the average volunteer staff service constitutes say longer.
A recent poll mm This is the students earlier this spring, when I was in the Senator Edward. Kennedy's testimony before the Committee, he drew my attention mm showed one thing: in favor of the majority of the volunteers who made, but more people declaring themselves will not voluntarily enlist. The senator is in fact raised the question: Is this volunteer system is not feasible prove that you?
the answer is no. young people the answer is made in accordance with the present situation. and no doubt the current requirements and conditions, their answer was correct mm Who can blame them for it ? They do not know if the conditions change, if in the military service more attractive, they will be on how to proceed.
how much more we need to attract enough volunteers to do? This has been A Defense Department study has been recruiting more serious investigation. to the evidence collected in this study, based on the study in the University of Washington, Walter. Austria is estimated by Professor: recruits first salary (the same including cash and in kind) for about $ 4,000 mm per year about 80 U.S. dollars per week mm will be enough. This is certainly not an unreasonable level of payment. Austria according to estimates that: Additional Payroll (in terms of personnel adjustment and for the training of personnel, after deduction of savings), the equivalent of 270 million people under the existing recruitment methods of the army, would be $ 3,000,000,000 per year to 40 million; and for higher number representing the current ( 310 million to 320 million) of the army, no more than 8 billion U.S. dollars annually.
using the same information, the Defense Department's estimated value of up to 175 billion dollars. This is an incredible number of mm it means: the new recruits will be people to the highest, the salary of every person in the armed forces will be increased to $ 6,000 per year. However, the federal government spending over 170 billion U.S. dollars per year, while military spending over 70 billion U.S. dollars a year the case, even if it estimate is not an absurd it is not feasible.
However, we do not need to be to attract enough people to make accurate cost estimates. for the simple sense of justice, we should improve the salaries of military personnel and improve their living conditions. If we did do it, then continue to exist even in the conscription system, while the how much sensitive to those conditions, and also need to improve these conditions can be much to stop recruitment.
Volunteers will lower the cost of increased salaries to attract volunteers
needs, many people believe: volunteers costs will be higher. But the fact is: with the now mandatory to supply the army by troops compared to the cost to supply the army of volunteers will lower the cost of troops if calculated properly, then mm. the costs listed in the federal budget may be higher mm although even this is uncertain. but for society as a much lower actual cost.
to recruit in the current conditions of a voluntary military service does not need the actual cost is not His salary and maintenance costs, but that he would be willing to pay at the amount of currency services. For example, compare the terms for a professional football star and the actual cost of an unemployed worker for actual costs. two people might have the same views on the military, but equally like or dislike mm mm military career. However, as a person who has a much better choice than another room, so he needs to attract much greater amount of money. When he was forced to service, we are actually levied a tax in kind to him, this in-kind tax is equal in value to attract the amount of money he needs and he actually get the difference between the salaries of troops. This hidden in-kind tax to be added to these other people to our public tax levy up to obtain the actual cost of the military.
If so, then can be seen immediately: the abolition of conscription would almost certainly reduce the cost mm Because this way, the troops will be those that are available to them the best professional soldiers who formed, which requires only a minimum amount of money served to attract them. This may significantly increase the monetary cost of the government, but This is only because the tax money instead of tax in kind.
hidden tax in kind is not its light weight. If anyone proposes to levy a 50% military special tax, then it must give rise to strong opposition. However, this is We are now doing in hidden forms. abolished conscription will have such a great advantage, namely: the attribution of these taxes should fall, those of us other people's heads, and not fall into the army of young people head.
costs even in the budget, there are some very important offsetting factors. volunteer for military service is longer, a higher rate of re-enlisted, and their average higher levels of technological water. forces can be less time wasted on training and being trained on it. because for the army, the manpower is cheap, so now there is the military tendency of human waste: Let conscripts who knows the capacity of those who did not meet with their work, or have enlisted by the people who can do the job, or by machines doing the work, or even let them to do the work of those who should totally cancel. Again, this one from any where American soldiers will be demobilized proved.
pay the higher of volunteers, but also may weaken after the end of the current military service, veterans benefits granted political appeal. the cost of benefits for our veterans a year has now reached 60 million, accounting for soldiers currently serving 1/3mm the total amount of salary and in the present circumstances, veterans benefits is no doubt he will continue to improve.
the racial composition of
volunteers on an objection is to the volunteers; Volunteers will be mainly from the composed of black, because blacks compared to other occupations open to the military career is so attractive.
First, there is a question of fact. This tendency is exaggerated form is out now people mm and volunteers in front of a higher level of payment under the system compared to the current level of payment for considerably more attractive to black people. And it has people from re-Wu and the white rate than blacks and higher re-enlistment rate is reflected. But the black percentage in the military, and their proportion of the population roughly equal. Some people made such estimates: even if every eligible black but not all service ready to serve, even the white man will continue to account for the majority of both teams. this possibility is completely unrealistic. the military requirements of various technologies and provide various opportunities. military service has always attracted a different class and different backgrounds, and it will continue to do so. In particular, if the pay and conditions have become more attractive, then we have every reason to expect: the military will attract people of all sectors of society.
Compared with whites, blacks in the hands of the armed forces technology is usually low. In this way, with their proportion of the army than their share of fighting forces larger. In Vietnam, the proportion of blacks than they absolutely in the proportion of the population. However, even there, blacks of all officers and men in nothing but a small part. More importantly, most of them go there is from their own choice: for They freely choose or re-enlisted into the army.
This raises a fundamental question of principle. It is clear that poor living conditions for those who are now better choice is a good thing, not a bad thing. and The contrary view is based on political judgments based on the following: the military share of the higher percentage of blacks, will aggravate the tension between the domestic races, and among the demobilized soldiers received military training in the formation of a group, to stimulate violence. perhaps some truth, but I personally prefer to see it as the most unrelated things unrelated things. whether in civil activities, or in military activities, the government should not be discriminated against. We must do everything we can to deal with domestic issues, rather than reject them as an excuse for black service opportunities. We should be for the army for bad living conditions, to provide opportunities for outstanding work done by the proud mm military personnel should not be allocated in the issue of discrimination against blacks, as we do in civil life to be far less.
the issue of flexibility Volunteers Volunteers
against another reason: its lack of flexibility in mm vagaries of the world situation, which accordingly requires a larger force, or smaller units. under the conscription, enlistment numbers can quickly increase or decrease.
mm This is indeed a problem but it is easily be overestimated. emergency situations must be whether the existing forces mm build-up which is how to deal with mm. from the increase in the number conscription, to be newly added, who trained the negative, is now in the past several months a.
key question is to ask how much flexibility. by way of voluntary recruitment, can provide a considerable degree of flexibility in mm, of course, pay the price. The practice is to make the service pay and conditions need to be more attractive than the actual people. In this way, there will be volunteers waiting in line surplus mm. If the increase in the number needed, then wait for the team will be shortened, if the need to reduce the number, then wait for the team will stretch.
full-scale war in the scale of change involved is another matter. If the military judge is: in the case of such an accident, time and reason to expand the army from all aspects, then, whether for providing trained reserve forces carried out widespread military training, combat readiness, or a conscription law, will be correct. both are very different in the peace time, or like, as the Vietnam War, only a small part of the need to recruit young of a small war, conventional forces and to ration the use of conscription.
the flexibility provided by conscription has its other side. It means: a period of at least among the U.S. troops into the battle, the rear Department of Operations and military service can be rather arbitrary manner. The voluntary approach is continuous for all citizens voting rights. by the military whether the activities carried out in accord with public opinion will no doubt affect the smooth progress of recruitment. This consideration In some people (including myself) view, is one of the benefits of this voluntary approach, while in others it seems, but it is a disadvantage.
is a political risk volunteers do?
The last thing on volunteers objection is: it will harm political freedom. Indeed there is a real danger, but it comes from the large military presence, coupled with the supplies they need the presence of the industrial complex rather than recruiting from the approach. If the situation allows us to keep the world a smaller army, so there is no doubt that our free system will be more secure. But to force approach (instead of free choice of means ) to fill the units, does not make the system safer and more free.
just instigated a military coup in Greece, is formed by a team by recruiting an army carried out. Argentina's recent military ** is also true. Napoleon and Franco also in support of conscripts to win political power. Britain and the United States depends on the volunteers at the same time maintaining freedom; Switzerland and Sweden, the introduction of conscription while maintaining their freedom. in the recruitment methods and to Z from the army's political threat, the hard to find any historical links.
threat to freedom comes from some officers that they are now, and has been a professional volunteer army. regardless of how we recruit soldiers, to take such a kinds of policies are very necessary: such a policy will prevent the allegiance of their own, out of contact with the national officers of the political risk of the Group produce. Fortunately, so far, we have largely avoided the danger . Military Academy called the broad basis for new recruits received (including geographical factors, and social and economic factors), the University's ROTC program, selected officers from the soldiers, and similar measures, have contributed to this result.
As for the future, we need to continue the policy of this broad absorption. We also need to encourage cross from civil activities to recruit new members in the practice of mm rather than relying primarily on the promotion within the army. with administrative agencies, military service is also need and will also benefit from internal and external communication. To this political interests, we should be willing to take responsibility for the very high staff turnover rate and relatively short average lengths of service of officers resulting from an economic price. We should follow this Personnel policy: continue to make at least one period of military officers in all sectors of life to attract people.
can not completely avoid the political risk. But regardless of who the volunteers or the recruitment to the army composed of soldiers , we can also easily make this risk minimization.
Conclusion
abolished conscription, and with the voluntary approach to organize our forces, in my opinion, this situation seems to have been overwhelming.
we should immediately increase the salaries of military personnel to improve service conditions, and to promote the military more effective use of manpower. We should continue to improve military pay, until the drives are eliminated. Meanwhile, in order to avoid delays in the military aspects mm military conscription would like to continue to rely on the support of mm we should set a clear termination date of recruitment.
Copyright Note: From 14. copyright 1967,