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Last month, the nation marked 35 years of a military made up exclusively of volunteers. Until July 1973, the military operated under an involuntary draft policy to provide manpower to fight the country's wars. Draftees served during both world wars, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Opposition to the war in Vietnam brought extreme scrutiny of the draft, and Congress eventually approved the establishment of the all-volunteer force.

For the past 35 years, volunteers manned 100 percent of the armed forces during the nation's times of need, including the Cold War, as well as conflicts in Bosnia and Kosovo. They filled the ranks and fought in the Persian Gulf, Panama and Grenada. Retention flourishes among the services - in both the active duty and Reserve Component - as they continue to operate in Iraq and Afghanistan and conduct humanitarian missions at home and throughout the world.

Experience is evident in today's armed forces' retention statistics. Today, nearly one out of every two service members re-enlists. During the draft, only one-eighth of the force chose to "re-up," creating a military where less than 20 percent of the force had more than a few years of service. This is even more impressive, considering that today's all-volunteer military has been fighting a two-front war on terror with protracted operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.