Beyond the Marketplace: National Service and the AVF

CHARLES C. MOSKOS, Professor of Sociology at Northwestern University, and JOHNH. FARIS, Professor of Sociology at Towson State University, argue that the emphasis of the All-Volunteer system on monetary incentives has eroded the “institutional” character of the armed forces-a development reflected in the changing social composition of recruits, a high level of attrition, an erosion of barracks life, a high incidence of moonlighting, and widespread attitudes of alienation and disaffection. To correct this without resuming the draft, they propose, in part, a program of student aid incentives designed to attract larger numbers of upwardly mobile young people to volunteer some service to the nation. Many, they believe, would opt for short, low-paid terms of enlistment in the military; others would have the option of performing brief periods of unpaid civilian service