The current condition of Army manpower, like the situation in Iraq,
is grave and deteriorating. The January 2007 decision by the George
W. Bush administration to send additional ground combat and support
troops to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has thrown the Army's
manpower shortages into stark relief. This latest escalation,
however, not only runs the risk of breaking the all-volunteer Army
but also undermines our national security. Several questions must
therefore be addressed: Is an all-volunteer Army desirable? What are
the current difficulties facing Army recruitment and retention? What
consequences have the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan had on the
service? Before engaging a more substantive discussion which
includes the present demographics of the force and the recruitment
process, one point should be made clear. We believe the
all-volunteer model is the right one and should be maintained if at
all possible.