Legacies of the All–Volunteer Force, Fifty Years On
Monday, 06 Nov 2023 at 6:00 pm – Great Hall, Memorial Union
The 2023 Gold Star Hall Ceremony Lecture 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the American draft, it’s also a historical moment when the military, especially the Army, can’t make its recruiting quotas and the civil-military gap is gaping. With the help of the audience, we will discuss the legacies of the All-Volunteer Force, with a particular eye toward who serves, who doesn’t, and what can be done about it.Amy J. Rutenberg is Associate Professor of History and the author of Rough Draft: Cold War Military Manpower Policy and the Origins of Vietnam-Era Draft Resistance. She is currently working on a book tentatively titled, In the Service of Peace: The Effects of Peace Activism on America’s All-Volunteer Force.The University Book Store will be onsite selling her book at the event.This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page.The 2023 Gold Star Hall Ceremony Lecture 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the American draft, it’s also a historical moment when the military, especially the Army, can’t make its recruiting quotas and the civil-military gap is gaping. With the help of the audience, we will discuss the legacies of the All-Volunteer Force, with a particular eye toward who serves, who doesn’t, and what can be done about it.Amy J. Rutenberg is Associate Professor of History and the author of Rough Draft: Cold War Military Manpower Policy and the Origins of Vietnam-Era Draft Resistance. She is currently working on a book tentatively titled, In the Service of Peace: The Effects of Peace Activism on America’s All-Volunteer Force.The University Book Store will be onsite selling her book at the event.This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page.
Stay for the entire event, including the brief question-and-answer session that follows the formal presentation. Most events run 75 minutes.
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Lecture Etiquette
- Stay for the entire lecture and the brief audience Q&A. If a student needs to leave early, he or she should sit near the back and exit discreetly.
- Do not bring food or uncovered drinks into the lecture.
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- Keep questions or comments brief and concise to allow as many as possible.