Summary: The U.S. Army War College <a href="https://cmrc.armywarcollege.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Civil-Military Relations Center</a> hosted its <a href="https://cmrc.armywarcollege.edu/outreach-programs-get-involved/inaugural-conference/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">inaugural conference</a> in May 2023. This year’s theme on the military and society was the American all-volunteer force as it turns 50. One of the major sub-themes throughout was the recruiting crisis and what it portends for the all-volunteer force. What affects people’s willingness to join the military? What policies may be most effective in sustaining the all-volunteer force? How does the relationship between a military and its society impact national security? On Saturday, May 6, the keynote speaker was one of the most prominent scholars of civil-military relations, Peter Feaver. He was joined by moderator and chair of the <a href="https://ssl.armywarcollege.edu/dnss/index.cfm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Department of National Security and Strategy</a>, Carrie Lee, to discuss the state of public trust in the military and his new book, <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/thanks-for-your-service-9780197681121?cc=us&lang=en&" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Thanks for Your Service: The Causes and Consequences of Public Confidence in the Military</em></a>. We were able to capture their conversation and are pleased to present it to you as a bonus episode on A Better Peace: The War Room Podcast.
