Military recruitment
Military recruitment refers to the processes through which armed forces seek to enlist individuals to serve in their ranks. There are two primary forms of recruitment: involuntary and voluntary. Involuntary recruitment, known as conscription or "the draft," legally mandates individuals to serve, though the United States currently relies solely on voluntary recruitment following the end of conscription in 1973. Voluntary recruitment allows individuals to choose military service, often influenced by personal motivations or external factors.
The U.S. military comprises six branches, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Space Force. These branches consist of active, reserve, and veteran members. Recruitment is essential for maintaining military personnel levels, and each branch operates its own recruiting offices and methods. The military invests significantly in advertising and outreach, utilizing various platforms such as television, radio, and social media, as well as direct engagement at schools and public events. This ongoing effort underscores the military's reliance on attracting volunteers to meet its operational needs.
Military recruitment
Two types of military recruitment exist: involuntary and voluntary. Conscription, also known as "the draft," is an involuntary recruitment measure. Conscription legally forces a person to serve in the military. Voluntary recruitment occurs when people elect to serve in the military, either on their own or through the influence of others.
While the United States has used both recruitment measures over the years to ensure its military is well equipped, it does not practice conscription today. The military employs recruiters to seek out qualified individuals to serve. Volunteers make up 100 percent of the US military forces.
Overview of the US Military
The US military, also called the United States Armed Forces, is made up of six branches: the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and Space Force. These branches comprise people who serve full-time (active members) and part-time (reserves and guard forces) and those who have previously served (veterans and retirees). The US president serves as the commander in chief of the armed forces, while the secretary of the Department of Defense controls every branch of the military except the Coast Guard, which the Department of Homeland Security heads.
The Air Force and Air Force Reserve control air combat, while the Army and Army Reserve control combat on land. The Coast Guard and Coast Guard Reserve control water combat. The Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserve are trained to fight on land and on water. They are usually the first to respond in conflicts. The Navy and Navy Reserve are trained to fight on land and water and in the air. The Air National Guard is the part-time division that participates in air combat, while the Army National Guard is the part-time division of the Army that participates in land combat. Both National Guard branches serve during conflicts and help during natural disasters. Established in 2019, the US Space Force protects US interests in outer space.
History of Recruitment
Conscription has been practiced since the colonial era in America. Most colonies required service in the militias to ensure that the fledging United States had enough able-bodied men—in addition to the Continental army—to fight in the American Revolutionary War in the eighteenth century. The colonies were able to force people to serve through conscription if they did not have enough volunteers to serve in the militias. The colonies set quotas, terms of service, and incentives for volunteers that were later extended to those drafted.
Because volunteer numbers were low, conscription continued during the American Civil War under the Militia Act of 1862 and the Enrollment Act of 1863. If drafted, a person could find a substitute to serve in their place. During the first draft in 1863, a person could pay his way out of serving; however, this practice was stopped in the three subsequent drafts throughout 1864.
In May of 1917, Congress passed the Selective Service Act to draft men to serve in World War I. According to the act, men between the ages of twenty-one and thirty were eligible for military service; however, the draft was very selective and allowed the government to choose the men it wanted to fight in the war. Some applied for deferment from war, and many charged that the government used favoritism to keep certain individuals out of the war. The United States later adopted a lottery system to draft civilians.
In September of 1940, the United States enacted the first peacetime draft known as the Selective Training and Service Act. The draft was made in preparation to enter World War II. It required men between the ages of twenty-one and thirty to register for a lottery for military service. Congress extended the draft age to eighteen to forty-five when the United States entered the war in 1941.
The United States instituted the draft two more times, during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. During the Vietnam War, many Americans protested the draft selection process. Numerous men enrolled in college to avoid the draft or sought deferment. Near the end of the war, more and more people called for an end to conscription. Selective Service officially ended in 1973.
While the United States no longer employs conscription today, it requires all men who are US citizens to register with the Selective Service System when they reach the age of eighteen. Some men, such as those with certain medical conditions, may be exempt from registering. The United States does not require women to register with the Selective Service System.
Recruitment Today
After the end of conscription in 1973, the US military became an all-volunteer force. While it has always used recruitment efforts for volunteers, today the military solely relies on recruitment to enlist its members. Each branch of the armed services has its own recruiting offices and requirements.
The military spends billions of dollars each year on advertising and efforts to lure potential servicemembers. In addition to the numerous television, radio, and Internet ads, as well as print ads and posters, recruiters visit high schools, colleges, sporting events, malls, festivals, and other places where potential recruits may be. The military has employed other means to get attention. It has produced movies and video games, flew planes with banners over events, and even sponsored race car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Because the military depends on recruits to fill its ranks, it continues to employ a range of recruiting methods to get the attention of possible volunteers.
Bibliography
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