The all-volunteer force has made the nation's defense the strongest it's ever been, the U.S. military's top officer said last month, adding that he would not want to return to a Vietnam-era military by implementing a draft.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Adm. Michael G. M
He fielded the questions in "town hall" sessions with soldiers as he visited three Army posts last month, his first as chairman.
Mullen, who was commissioned in 1968, said he saw first-hand the effects the draft had on the force as it wound down from the war in Vietnam.
"I watched the military break apart. ... To the best of my ability, I'm never going to let that happen," he said. "You can read about it, but I was there, so I know; I understand the quality that we had back then."
The admiral said the U.S. military now serves as a model that other nations look to as an example of how to train, fight, equip and develop a force. He said the fact that troops chose to serve is the foundation for today's quality.
He acknowledged the stress frequent deployments have had on the force, particularly the Army.
But, he said, that may be fixed by a combination of growing the force and retooling the role of the National Guard and Reserves as part of the Total Force.
© 2007 National Guard Association of the United States Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Source: National Guard
