Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates spoke to more than 1,200 students, faculty, ROTC cadets and civilians at Duke University, N.C., Sept. 29, 2010. He recounted the success and remarkable achievements of the all-volunteer military force. He said the Iraq and Afghan wars are, “the first protracted, large-scale conflicts since our Revolutionary War fought entirely by volunteers.” Yet, he added that, “no major war in our history has been fought with a smaller percentage of this country’s citizens in uniform full-time – roughly 2.4 million active and reserve service members out of a country of over 300 million, less than one percent.”
In the three highlighted excerpts below he covers: how the force has coped with the strain and stress of multiple deployments over a prolonged period of time; the challenge to the nation of the growing financial costs associated with an all-volunteer force; and, the opportunity to serve the nation.
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