Afterword: Trust in the Military and the Legitimacy of the All-Volunteer Force

The All-Volunteer Force (AVF) has proven to be more durable than many expected it to be. It is more effective, more ethical, more politically sustainable, and more legitimate than the realistic alternatives. It only falls short in comparison to conscription in the area of promoting civic virtues widely through the citizenry. It faces challenges but is worth preserving. The AVF can continue to work, but only if it adapts to meet the new geopolitical, demographic, and political realities—and only if we remember that the AVF exists chiefly to protect the homeland and US global interests and not to solve a host of other worthy goals policymakers are tempted to assign to it.

Duke Scholars

Author Peter D. Feaver Political Science