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The latest draft board scandal has gotten me thinking. Back in the '70s after the Vietnam War ended the US experimented with abolishing conscription. There was alot of debate over wether the Army could maintain it's strengh relying only on volunteers. True the Army did have alot of recruiting difficulties at first, but enlistments were on the rise when Reagan reinstated the draft. What if Reagan didn't reinstate the draft? Could the Army have successfully adapted to not having access to conscripts? It worked for most of our history. Even in the '80s during the Cold War no more than 15% of each age cohort was selected. Then it dropped to 10%, and not it's closer to 5% since SCOTUS made Congress draft women. It should be possible to get enough volunteers by improving conditions and raising pay. Maybe give bonuses on enlistment just like the Army does with conscripts to who decide to sign up for service beyond two years.