Defense Manpower Planning discusses the important set of national security issues related to defense manpower for the 1980s. The topics in the text focus on the problems of manpower acquisition and retention. The historical background and description of the military power during the 1970s and 1980s are given in detail. A military manpower chronology is provided.
The book enumerates some of the manpower issues and debates. Such salient issues as the quantity, quality, socio-economic factors, and the issue of cost, combat effectiveness, and readiness factors are carefully considered. After listing the issues, solutions are then presented. The variants of the all-volunteer force, of conscription, and combining volunteers and conscripts are suggested. A part of the book focuses on active duty forces. The issue of employing women in the military is fully addressed. A description of combat is also tackled. A section of the text explains the relationship between precision guided munitions and the volunteer force.
The book will provide useful information to defense military planners, historians, and students of history.

PrefaceAn Overview: Military Manpower into the 1980sA Military Manpower Chronology 1. Outline of Manpower Issues and Debate Part I: Active Duty Forces Introduction to Part I 2. Conscription and the All-Volunteer Army in Historical Perspective 3. Women, Combat, and the Draft: Placing Details in Context 4. People, Not Hardware: The Highest Defense Priority 5. "Dumb" Soldiers and "Smart" Bombs: Precision-Guided Munitions and the All-Volunteer Force 6. AVF vs. Draft: Where Do We Go From Here?Part II: Reserve Forces Introduction to Part II 7. Historical Continuity in the U.S. Military Reserve System 8. U.S. Army Selected Reserves: Incentives/Disincentives to Join/Remain 9. Are We Really Serious? A Critical Assessment of Manpower Policies in the Army Reserve Forces 10. Future of the Army Reserves: Plans, Policies and ProgramsPart III: Alternatives Introduction to Part III 11. Selective Service Program Overview and Results of the 1980 Registration 12. The Market Model of Military Labor Procurement: A Survey of Current Issues 13. National Service: An Alternative to the All-Volunteer Military 14. Making the All-Volunteer Force Work 15. National Service Program 16. If the Draft is Restored: Uncertainties, Not Solutions 17. Conclusion GlossaryIndex About the Authors and Editors