Neither a Conscript Army nor an All-Volunteer Force: Emerging Recruiting Models

Abstract

This article develops an analytical model of force composition that combines the advantages of conscription with those of an all-volunteer force. Using Israel as a hypothesis-generating case study, it argues that mandatory military service has undergone changes centered on five key organizing principles: selective conscription, early discharges, elongated lengths of service, forms of voluntary service and differing pay-scales, and other material and non-material incentives for conscripts. These principles are “grafted” onto conscription creating a hybrid, “volunteer-ized” model. The utility of the theoretical model lies in explaining how these principles facilitate mobilizing a needed number or recruits, providing an adequate level of military expertise, as well as maintaining the legitimacy of the armed forces by meeting domestic social, economic, and political expectations about its composition and the use of personnel at its disposal. The system is adaptive and flexible, as shown through the comparisons throughout the paper.

Multifaceted Conscription: A Comparative Study of Six European Countries

“…The level of motivation influences whether conscripts are relatively heterogeneous or homogeneous in their propensity to serve. Modern conscription in contemporary societies is characterised by principles of voluntarism, individualism, and gender equality (Strand, 2023), leading to a hybrid, "volunteer-ized model" of conscription, which refers to increasing material and non-material incentives for conscripts (Ben-Ari et al, 2023). It has also been referred to as "pragmatic conscription," where conscripts themselves seek tangible benefits from military service, and armed forces strive to meet these new expectations (Lillemäe et al, 2023).…”

“…Lithuania reinstated conscription in 2015 and Sweden in 2017, thus becoming the first two countries to do so in peacetime. 2 In recent years, research on conscription has been mainly focused on either the effects of conscription on youth (its effect on educational attainments and income, for example; see Hubers & Webbink, 2015;Puhani & Sterrenberg, 2022) or what makes conscription viable in contemporary societies where values of individualism contradict utilitarian values of personal sacrifice for the greater good -a combination of conscription and AVF, for example, or increasing convertibility between civilian and military spheres (see Ben-Ari et al, 2023;Lillemäe et al, 2023). Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2022 has further revived the discussions on conscription.…”

The adaptation of soldiers to post-service life – the mediating impact of political views on the relationship between violence and adaptation

“…On the one hand, there is the self-selection of recruits who are prone to right-wing political views ( Fize and Louis-Sidois, 2020 ), which, in turn, strengthens right-wing political opinions in the military. Such a view was recently studied in the Israeli context ( Ben-Ari et al, 2023 ). Another intriguing consideration is the organizational factor of ongoing reserve service.…”

“…There is a tendency in Israel to take military matters for granted, or, in other words, there is a kind of “cognitive militarism” ( Kimmerling, 1993 ). Therefore, adherence to mandatory conscription – or the “People’s Army” – remains a crucial factor in Israel’s political perception of this civic obligation ( Ben-Ari et al, 2023 ). The Israeli military leadership has also maintained the emphasis that the military continues to represent “very strongly the Israeli idea of ‘Mamlachtiyut’ – a statist national ethos that combines notions of belonging to the same community, due conduct, inclusivity, and engaging for the common good of Israel” ( Peri, 2020 , p. 2).…”

“…The Israeli military leadership has also maintained the emphasis that the military continues to represent “very strongly the Israeli idea of ‘Mamlachtiyut’ – a statist national ethos that combines notions of belonging to the same community, due conduct, inclusivity, and engaging for the common good of Israel” ( Peri, 2020 , p. 2). This is despite the fact that large parts of the population do not enlist for full military service, and while appearing inclusive, military service in Israel can be highly selective with a pattern of early discharge for those who do not fit what is required ( Ben-Ari et al, 2023 ). This allows the armed forces to benefit from the advantages of both a volunteer system and a citizen army tradition.…”