the man power so lavishly placed at their
equivalent) compared with just 79 percent of
disposal also vitiated their judgement."98
the comparable population of youth. Prac-
To constrain the generals, Lloyd George
tically all new recruits fall in the top three
limited troop reinforcements.
AFQT categories in contrast with 69 percent
of their civilian counterparts. Furthermore,
new soldiers read at a higher level than civil-
Imposing Unfair Social Costs
ian youth of the same age.
Almost all officers have at least a bac-
calaureate degree.101 Fewer enlistees have
A draft would generate significant social
costs. The Vietnam era demonstrated that
college degrees than their civilian counter-
the price of avoidance activities and econom-
parts, but roughly similar numbers are col-
ic dislocations is substantial. Conscription
lege capable. Young recruits join the mili-
created an entire opposition industry, replete
tary when others their age are attending
with emigration, early marriages, unneces-
university. But the SAT scores of new enlis-
sary schooling, inefficient employment, and
tees suggest that they are qualified to
political violence. In short, a draft increases
attend a representative sample of col-
leges.102 Past surveys have found servicemen
total costs for society and then shifts the bur-
den--said to be too high for everyone to
to have higher educational aspirations than
bear--to a few 18-year-old conscripts.
do comparable civilians.
If the government wants to save money, it
As for socioeconomic status, Sue Berry-
might as well draft civilian defense workers or
man of Columbia University reports that it is
postal employees instead of military person-
incontestable that enlistees "do not come from
nel. In fact, Rep. James Wadsworth (R-N.Y.), a
the more marginal groups on any of four dimen-
sponsor of the Selective Service and Training
sions: family socioeconomic status, mea-
Act of 1940, subsequently proposed a civilian
sured verbal and quantitative abilities, educa-
tional achievement, and work orientation."103
industrial draft: "Every civilian adult in the
United States otherwise competent and with
The Pentagon makes much the same point:
certain liberal exemption owes it as a duty to
serve in a civilian capacity where he or she is
Analysis of Vietnam era veterans
most needed."99
indicated that individuals of high
socioeconomic status comprised
Conscription Would Not Make the
about half the proportion of draftees
Military More "Representative"
compared to their representation in
A draft increases
the overall population. Three system-
The question of "representativeness"
atic analyses of the socioeconomic
involves a hideous tangle of issues. The
total costs for
composition of accessions during
notion that the military is dominated by
society and then
the volunteer period suggest that lit-
ignorant minorities and lower-class whites
tle has changed with the all-volun-
is both grossly offensive and a ridiculous
shifts the bur-
myth.100 In general, the AVF has a few more
teer force. All found that members of
den--said to be
the military tended to come from
African-Americans, high school graduates,
too high for
backgrounds that were somewhat
above-average students, and members of
lower in socioeconomic status than
the middle class and slightly fewer college
everyone to bear--
the U.S. average, but that the differ-
graduates, Hispanics, and members of the
to a few 18-year-
ences between the military and the
under- and upper-classes. The military is
old conscripts.
comparison groups were relatively
quintessentially middle America. (See Appen-
modest. These results have been con-
dix, Tables 28.)
firmed in recent editions of this
More specifically, virtually all members of
report, which portray a socioeco-
the armed forces--active and selected
nomic composition of enlisted acces-
reserves--have high school diplomas (or their
10