I Want You!

The Evolution of the All-Volunteer Force

Bernard D. Rostker

ResearchPublished Jul 17, 2006

As U.S. military forces appear overcommitted and some ponder a possible return to the draft, the timing is ideal for a review of how the American military transformed itself over the past five decades, from a poorly disciplined force of conscripts and draft-motivated “volunteers” to a force of professionals revered throughout the world. Starting in the early 1960s, this account runs through the current war in Iraq, with alternating chapters on the history of the all-volunteer force and the analytic background that supported decisionmaking. The author participated as an analyst and government policymaker in many of the events covered in this book. His insider status and access offer a behind-the-scenes look at decisionmaking within the Pentagon and White House. The book includes a foreword by former Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird. The accompanying DVD contains more than 1,700 primary-source documents — government memoranda, Presidential memos and letters, staff papers, and reports — linked directly from citations in the electronic version of the book. This unique technology presents a treasure trove of materials for specialists, researchers, and students of military history, public administration, and government affairs to draw upon.

Order a Print Copy

Format
Hardbound with DVD
Page count
832 pages
List Price
$25.00
Buy link
Add to Cart
Format
Hardbound
Page count
832 pages
List Price
$20.00
Buy link
Add to Cart

Topics

Document Details

  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Available
  • Year: 2006
  • Print Format: Hardbound with DVD
  • Hardbound with DVD Pages: 832
  • Hardbound with DVD Price: $25.00
  • Hardbound with DVD ISBN/EAN: 978-0-8330-3895-1
  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.7249/MG265
  • Document Number: MG-265-RC
  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Available
  • Year: 2006
  • Print Format: Hardbound
  • Hardbound Pages: 832
  • Hardbound Price: $20.00
  • Hardbound ISBN/EAN: 978-0-8330-3896-8
  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.7249/MG265
  • Document Number: MG-265-RC

Citation

RAND Style Manual
Rostker, Bernard D., I Want You! The Evolution of the All-Volunteer Force, RAND Corporation, MG-265-RC, 2006. As of September 19, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG265.html
Chicago Manual of Style
Rostker, Bernard D., I Want You! The Evolution of the All-Volunteer Force. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2006. https://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG265.html. Also available in print form.
BibTeX RIS

The research described in this report results from the RAND Corporation’s continuing program of self-initiated independent research. Support for such research is provided, in part, by donors and by the independent research and development provisions of RAND’s contracts for the operation of its US Department of Defense federally funded research and development centers. This research was conducted within the RAND National Security Research Division (NSRD) of the RAND Corporation. NSRD conducts research and analysis for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the Unified Commands, the defense agencies, the Department of the Navy, the U.S. Intelligence Community, allied foreign governments, and foundations.

This publication is part of the RAND monograph series. RAND monographs were products of RAND from 2003 to 2011 that presented major research findings that addressed the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND monographs were subjected to rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity.

This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.

RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.