The materials this week address the importance of understanding recruiting, training, and readying militaries for operations as part of capabilities analysis. Please consider the references and videos below and construct a paper on the following:

 

 

1. Several influential political figures are concerned about U.S. military recruiting challenges and are considering re-instituting the draft/conscription. Writing from the perspective of Chinese intelligence provides an assessment of how re-instituting the draft would impact the U.S. military. What are two or three factors that would increase or decrease U.S. military capability as a result?

 

Directions 

 

The paper should begin with a short assessment paragraph that includes a confidence level. The next several paragraphs will provide the information and sourcing for what led to the assessment. The papers will end with a short alternative assessment outlining a different potential outcome than the primary assessment, as well as an identification of what major information gaps exist that would - if filled - help provide higher confidence in the assessment.

Scoring 

 

Key factors for scoring include:

• Use of at least five sources
• A clearly identified assessment with supporting information.
• Adding an alternative assessment as well as the identification of gaps

 

 

References:

 

1. Harrison, Todd. "Rethinking Readiness." Center for Strategic and Budget Assessments. Strategic Studies  Quarterly Fall  2014  Volume  8, NO. 3. pp. 38-66. Found at: https://csbaonline.org/uploads/documents/Rethinking-Readiness.pdfLinks to an external site.
2. Arensdorf, Ashley. "British and German Approaches to Tactical Officer Training during the Late Interwar Period." Military Review, U.S. Army Press. pp. 12. Found at:  https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Military-Review/Online-Exclusive/2021-OLE/Arensdorf/Links to an external site.
3. Rondeaux, Candace. "Russian Military Reorganization, Modernization & The Market for Private Force." Decoding the Wagner Group: Analyzing the Role of Private Military Security Contractors in Russian Proxy Warfare, New America, 2019, pp. 20-31. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep19981.9Links to an external site.. Accessed July 29, 2023.
4. The All-Volunteer Military: Issues and Performance." Congressional Budget Office Report. July 2007. pp. 1-49. Found at: https://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/110th-congress-2007-2008/reports/07-19-Links to an external site.militaryvol_0.pdf
5. Corbett, Thomas and Peter W. Singer. "China's New Conscription Rules Reveal Concerns: New sections on wartime drafts, punishment, and physical fitness offer a glimpse into P.L.A. leaders' minds." Defense One. June 8, 2023. pp. 6. Found at: https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2023/06/chinas-new-conscription-regulations-reveal-what-worries-pla/387292/Links to an external site.
6. "Integration of Women into Combat Units." North Atlantic Treaty Organization, S.T.O. Report TR-SAS-120, April 2021. Chapter 2, pp. 2-1 - 2-9. Found at: https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA613521.pdfLinks to an external site.

Videos

 

1. "How Arab Militaries Fight". Kenneth Pollack speaking at the Middle East Institute, Middle East Focus Podcast, 2019. 27 minutes. Found at: How Arab militaries fight - YouTubeLinks to an external site.
2. "How poor training is killing Russian pilots." Sandboxx, April 2023. 20 minutes. Found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l7UeESbBb8Links to an external site.
3. "Is This the Chinese Military's Greatest Weakness?" China Uncensored, 2022. 8 minutes. Found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsXiiZPKFT8Links to an external site.
4. "Why is the ISRAELI ARMY so POWERFUL?" VisualPolitik EN, 2018. 13 minutes. Founds at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdgg0uDhrOsLinks to an external site.