10:10 - 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, September 25, 2024
Live Zoom Event | click title for Zoom link | all times listed CDT
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Defending the U.S.: The All-Volunteer Force in the 21st Century
Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the shift to an all-volunteer military in the United States. This change was made possible by the unpopularity of the Vietnam War, particularly the draft system that forced a growing number of young people to fight in a conflict that they opposed. Military service has long been an experience that linked Americans of different religions, races, and hometowns. But now, the individuals who serve in the armed forces make up a shrinking portion of American society. The hardships effects of repeated deployments on soldiers, families and communities shined a harsh light on the uneven sacrifices especially during the “forever wars” in Iraq and Afghanistan. While those particular entanglements have now ended, questions remain, what obligations do individual citizens owe to their nation, as well as to those who voluntarily take up arms in its defense?
Panel Host: Dr. Paula Patterson Q&A Moderator: Dr. Jeremy Neely
Presenters
![Professor, Director and Author Beth Bailey](https://webapps.missouristate.edu/publicaffairs/upload/BethBailey-edited.jpg)
![Senior Research Fellow Gil Barndollar](https://webapps.missouristate.edu/publicaffairs/upload/Gil-Barndollar.jpg)
![Executive Director, Ctr for Veteran Transition & Integration Jason Dempsey](https://webapps.missouristate.edu/publicaffairs/upload/JasonDempsey-edited.jpg)