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

YES!

I don't see any way that it can be sustained. I worked with recruiting service with the Air Force Reserve for 15 1/2 yrs. All I heard from potential recruits was, I need money for school. I need training. I need this, I need that! Constant whining. But, I really believe the downfall has been Base Closures, constant wars in Iraq and Afghanistan! What the hell are we still there for? Didn't we defeat the Taliban and now we are negotiations with them? WTF? There is very little exposure to the Military anymore, except at sporting events! But, there are other reasons too! Kids to fat, lead a sedentary lifestyle, can't pass physicals, and surprisingly enough a good percentage can't pass the ASVAB! Depending on whether the USA ever decides to win a war again, the volunteer force may survive. But, if we ever have to go it alone, No way we win a war with China. One more thought, we can send our troops all over the world, but we can't put them along our own border with a real military mission to stop the illegal invasion, and that includes shoot to kill orders!

Looking back at my experience as a "Cold-warrior", the concept of Universal Military Service was a good one, but was poorly executed. There were too many exemptions, and it was too little likely to be drafted, even with those vast numbers of people exempted. Besides, your country did not need everyone of your generation, so why should you suffer that inconvenience?

Only two of my friends and I chose to enlist rather than try to "beat the draft". Several others I knew got deferments as college students, or got married to discourage their draft boards from selecting them for the military. That "teenage marriage" proved a terrible ploy, ending in hardship and divorce for many of them.

Ultimately, the UMS failed because it was NOT "Universal". If it had been, it would have been fair, and no one would feel that he was getting screwed, while everybody else still had his freedom.

Making UMS work would require a drastic re-alignment of governmental thinking -- the draft would not be based on the projected defense needs of the country, but on the population of military-aged youth who must be inducted and trained, serve a short period of active military duty, then return to civilian life as a reservist. The expense entailed would vary with that military-aged population.

Yet the #1 Rule you learn is: Never volunteer for anything.

Not to forget the % of Americans who are "unfit" for service: physically, mentally, background issues, substance abuse, etc...

I believe that it has already failed. Why else would the military open up all combat arms mos"s to women. They weren't getting enough men to fill them.

I worry about the radical changes in our society over the past 10 to 15 years and how those born in this generation are being taught socialism and that America is the bad guy. I see it being sustainable for the short term but if we don’t reverse the tide I find it doomed to fail in the long term. My thought is Liberalism with the Socialist political beliefs could be the death of us.

Yes, but I think the force will be more and more outside the mainstream younger society....it really is today, but that separation will become more and more a reality as more high school graduates see brighter horizons going to college where they will be further influenced by "progressives" rather than patriots. Priviledge and affluency are not the parents of warriors.

Great question, Ma'am!

I hate to be a cynic, but.... I'm a cynic. As long as we have under-/ un- educated poor people, we will have a pool for enlisted folks. I worry about maintaining a pool of quality Officers. It seems to me, with absolutely no facts or research to back it up, that military Officership is more heredutary than enlisting, so that will help SOME, if true. But even then, fresh blood is needed to prevent stagnation (or inbreeding, but I digress).

As to the civil/military divide, it is real. I find that things are cyclical - During WWII, all Soldiers were heroes. Full stop. They defeated evil, and protected America. 30 years later, all Soldiers were disgusting baby killers. 30 years after THAT, all Soldiers were heroes again. This has started to wane. But where we are right now does not help with the divide. Many may think about joining, and think they aren't hero material. Many aren't up for the sacrifice of herodom.

The military never has been, and never will be, "just another profession." But as long as we continue to hoist it on a pedestal - for good OR ill - there will always be a barrier for most of the people. If we can treat it like any other profession, as a society, then we will have a more diverse representation of society joining.