All-Volunteer Force: National Population, Distributional (Un)Willingness and Martial Tendency

Abstract

National population has always been traditionally seen as one of the elements of a state’s power, especially as it relates to military recruitment. This traditional understanding is largely true under the instrument of conscription through the draft procedure. However, the transition to an All-Volunteer Force (AVF) has brought new questions to the fore, regarding the population-military-recruitment or enlistment dynamics. By using a qualitative research methodology, this study finds that the traditional view of national population as suggestive of a country’s military recruitment or enlistment potential may not be compatible with the reality of AVF today. It introduces Distributional Un/Willingness which aims to describe the dispersion of the population to understand the connection between the state and its population in terms of recruitment under AVF. It concludes by suggesting transnational recruitment with an emphasis on martial tendency as one of the solutions to the problem of recruitment and retention for countries that have the political will and financial wherewithal.