The New Warrior Caste: How Recruiting Failed the All-Volunteer Force

Should America reinstate the draft? This ongoing quiet debate stems from two main factors. First, heightened fears of an existential Russian threat have sparked an ongoing European debate over conscription in countries like Germany, Sweden, Latvia, Georgia, Ukraine, and France. Second, U.S. recruiting efforts for the All-Volunteer Force (AVF) have become increasingly inconsistent. Although recruiting significantly improved in 2025 after several poor years, there is little data-driven expla...