Former Pentagon Manpower Chief Discusses the History—And the Future?—of the Military Draft

Dr. Bernard Rostker Speaks at Nixon Library April 4 at 10:30 a.m.

March 14, Yorba Linda, CA--As the American military copes with increased overseas deployments and recruiting challenges, the lessons of the past are more relevant than ever to meeting the country's defense needs, says Dr. Bernard Rostker, former Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and a current fellow at the RAND Corporation.

Rostker, who also headed the Selective Service under President Carter, is one of the country's foremost experts on military recruiting and personnel readiness. He will speak about the military's last major manpower crisis, which took place during the Vietnam, and the creation of the all-volunteer military, which ended the military draft in 1973, at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda on April 4 at 10:30 a.m. His talk will be drawn from the research for his new book, "I Want You!" The Evolution of the All-Volunteer Force (published by RAND). The event is free and open to the public.

"Part of the Nixon Library's mission is to be a forum for the discussion of important public issues," Dr. Timothy Naftali, director of the Nixon Library, said. "We are delighted that Dr. Rostker will be coming to the Library to share his expertise and insight into the state of the American military. Given that the draft ended as a result of a Nixon administration initiative, the Library is a natural home for this discussion."

About the Nixon Library: The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, a nonpartisan federal institution, is a part of the National Archives and Records Administration. For more information, contact (714) 983-9120 or visit http://www.nixonlibrary.gov.

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