Use of Conscription and the All-Volunteer Force During Large Scale Combat Operations

In the past, large mobilizations had depended on conscription of eligible members of the population and reserve component members. In 1973 the United States created legislation that changed the military to an all-volunteer force and eliminated the policy of conscription. Since the change in policy the Department of Defense had to rely on the recruitment of new soldiers to meet the personnel requirements during times of war. This study examines how the policy change from conscription to an all-volunteer force has affected the ability of the US Army to support mobilization and personnel replacement for LSCO. This was accomplished by using a cross-case analysis of three case studies to compare the use of conscription to a volunteer force to meet LSCO demands. The case studies consisted of three different conflicts, World War Two, the Korean War and Desert Storm. The study found that while a volunteer force is capable of meeting short term LSCO demands, prolonged LSCO would become cost prohibitive, and the US would eventually have to reintroduce conscription to meet manpower demands.