The recent political fracas over women and the draft is making headlines around the country and has become a campaign issue in the Republican presidential primaries. But this debate raises even more profound questions about the need for — and value of — the draft more broadly. Put simply, Selective Service is the only remaining …

Women have been serving honorably in the armed forces for as long as the armed forces have existed — they’ve either hidden their gender, seen combat “unofficially,” or served in “support” roles — an increasingly blurry distinction. The renewed debate on the draft is an important step forward in ensuring that the United States maintains …

In his article, “Why the Draft is a Forlorn Hope,” Second Lieutenant T.S. Allen uses my recent op-ed in The Los Angeles Times to attack those who seem to be calling for a military draft as a means to set right a number of wrongs. I cannot speak for the other authors Lt. Allen criticizes, but it is …

In the 17th century it was customary to begin assaults on fortified places with a wave called the “forlorn hope,” led by a junior officer who could expect to die in the attempt — or live to see himself decorated and promoted. In a recent editorial, former Marine Lieutenant Benjamin Luxenberg launched a forlorn hope …

James Fallows has written an important article for The Atlantic, “The Tragedy of the American Military” , one whose hosannas are currently lighting up the web.  There is in this piece, much to like, and much to praise.  I utterly agree with Mr. Fallows about the degree to which the society and its military have become estranged, …

With thousands of air and ground robots in the field, you could be forgiven for thinking that the U.S. military has embraced unmanned systems. The truth is that they are used mostly for niche roles like reconnaissance and bomb disposal. Resistance to expanding their use for more core military missions persists in many corners of …

I was disappointed in Dana Milbank’s recent opinion piece in the Washington Post that called for a return to the draft. Clearly Milbank has never seen war, nor does he have the slightest clue about the corrosive dynamics of impressing young men into life-threatening service against their will. Trust me, I’ve served in two militaries, …

To paraphrase Jay-Z: the all-volunteer force has 99 problems, but a lack of conscripts ain’t one of them. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank penned a column titled “Save America: Restore the Draft”.  Conscription, in Milbank’s view, is a panacea that would cure all of America’s ills, from social and class divisions to misuse of the military to overly …

It is becoming increasingly popular for journalists and commentators to call for the restoration of conscription.  With the exception of an actual existential threat to the security of our nation, the draft is a dangerous and terrible idea. The latest to join the pro-draft chorus is The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank in his 29 November …

In The Washington Post, Dana Milbank argues for the restoration of compulsory military service in the United States in order to reverse a “gradual collapse of our ability to govern ourselves.” In 33 years on the Hill, I never noticed any appreciable relationship between military service and understanding of national defense matters among Members of …

On February 2, the Senate Armed Services Committee heard conflicting testimony from the Army and Marine Corps about integrating women into the infantry. The Marine Corps had opposed the change, drawing the ire of Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. So he took gender integration a giant step farther, ordering the Marines to abolish their separate male …

For years, North Korea has violated U.S. law and U.N. resolutions. Among its many infractions, it has continued its prohibited nuclear and missile programs; committed gross human rights violations; counterfeited U.S. currency and indulged in repeated acts of terrorism and acts of war. Yet the United States has only half-heartedly addressed these violations. For example, …

The Iraqi Army defenders of Ramadi had held their dusty, stony ground for over a year and become familiar with the increasing adeptness of their opponents waving black flags. At first, these Iraqi Army units simply faced sprayed rifle fire, but then it was well-placed sniper rounds that forced these weary units to keep under …

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At some point during the presidential election cycle, the issue of U.S. defense spending will rise (however briefly) to the top of the national security debate. Fleeting though the debate may be, the issue will certainly be on the front burner for the next secretary of defense, who will inherit a military somewhere between “eviscerated …