All-Volunteer Force at 50

“We have satisfied ourselves that a volunteer force will not jeopardize national security, and we believe it will have a beneficial effect on the military as well as the rest of our society.”

Thomas S. Gates;
Chairman of the President’s Commission on an All-Volunteer Armed Force;
February 20, 1970

As the nation approaches the 50th Anniversary of the All-Volunteer Force (AVF) on July 1, 2023, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) is assembling a bipartisan task force examining the mechanics of AVF personnel management, identifying areas for evolution, and developing a modernized AVF roadmap for the next 50 years.

Led by CNAS Military, Veterans, and Society Program Director Katherine Kuzminski, the AVF at 50 project will harness the program’s expertise on military personnel policy, veteran and military family policy, and civil-military relations. The task force will consist of a diverse group of scholars, policy experts and practitioners from the military personnel community.

The task force will convene over the course of six months, focusing on elements affecting the strength of the AVF including:

Findings and recommendations from the discussions will be distilled into a public report to be published on July 1, 2023.

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