The All-Volunteer Force

The all-volunteer force (AVF), created in conjunction with the end of the draft in 1973, has been the most significant development in modern American military history. Since its inception, the influence of the AVF has reached far beyond the US armed forces, affecting the very character of American civil-military relations. While its successes and challenges continue to be widely discussed and fervently debated, one thing is certain: the AVF is critical to both US national security and the fabric