The all-volunteer force, the historic norm in peacetime America, was reestablished in the U.S. on 30 June 1973, when induction authority expired. But never before had the U.S. attempted to field a standing Army in peacetime -- based on voluntary enlistments -- with the worldwide responsibilities that faced this force. Since the mid-1980s the ability of the armed forces to recruit & retain quality volunteers has not been seriously questioned. This book takes us through those years of transition, examining both the context in which the end of the draft occurred & the perspective which the Army's leaders brought to bear on the challenge they faced.