Do you think that an all volunteer force is sustainable in the future?

I'm visiting Taiwan right now and last night I met a kid who's in the military. He's completing his 4 month conscription (reduced from the former 2 years) and he couldn't care less. He just says he's so board and can't wait for it to end. There's definitely cultural differences but the Taiwanese people don't seem to have much confidence in their military. I'm sure there's a ton of service members who are masters of the trade of arms but having these video game addict, selfie stick wielding 18 year olds isn't helping national defence or inspiring confidence in the public. I disagree with conscription on moral grounds because it violates individual liberties. And this sounds harsh but if a nation can't muster up individuals to sacrifice and serve, a stronger people will rule. This shocks our civilized senses but if we can't sustain the armed forces with willing volunteers, we don't deserve the right to exist as a nation.

Yes. We are going to require some type of national service to supplement the force. Conus based service to free up the enlistees to go overseas.

If we wait for millennials to volunteer, we will all be speaking Russian or Chinese

there has always been a divide. and that is ok. I personally believe we will always have enough young people who volunteer. People go in for myriad of reasons. It is nice this option exists. We are the only country that offers the military as an option.

One thing our Patriot Employee Network does is volunteer at local schools. We are out there teaching kids how to fold flags, letting the see and handle a soldiers gear. They get to decorate Blue Star Moms packages before they are loaded. Some of our members who are in the National Guard show up in uniform.
The students love the interaction and it develops a sense of patriotism in them. The schools love it (it also gets money for them). The volunteers love it.
Many of the students say they are going to be in the military when they grow up. Of course life changes everything, but an early start helps and we are visible and in the schools a lot.

Most of today's society is a bunch of fairies. Then we have the small portion who aren't. So, will need doctrine and strategy for smaller, harder hitting force.

Yes.... Sort of......Frkm a game boy maybe

Yes because it will be all machines. Tom

I was Pers REc Spec at the beginning of VOLAR - yes, ma'am, I certainly do see a divide. " I don't have to do............ because I volunteered to enlist". "you need me, I don't need you". "You can't make me do that". Omigosh. I can't even imagine what my Army is like now.

Yes we have a military/civilized divide! However it starts at home where there is NO sense of service unless it’s self service. The all about me generation couldn’t care less about anything or anyone else. Liberal arts colleges discourage military service. The new retirement system adopted by DoD just makes recruiting and retention even more difficult.

A mandatory compulsory military mandate will not work either. Remember the draft during Vietnam. The poor and minorities were drafted much more than those with the means to escape the draft. Considering today’s state of affairs and us being in a state of perpetual war, a draft won’t be good. Now that women can serve in the infantry and other combat MOS’s the selective service is pretty much superfluous. Besides, there was no equality in the draft when women were exempt. Keep the volunteer force, sweeten the pot but make it a priority and an honor to serve.