In this TIME cover story, Elliot Ackerman visits Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island to meet a new generation of Marines preparing to serve in wars older than they are.

A Generation Born After 9/11

Many of the recruits profiled were born after the September 11 attacks or were too young to remember them. For these young Marines, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are not defining memories but inherited history.

Why They Chose to Serve

Through interviews with recruits from across the country, Ackerman explores their motivations for joining the Marine Corps. Some seek discipline, purpose, family pride, citizenship, or the challenge of serving in what they view as the military’s toughest branch.

The Cost of an All-Volunteer Force

Ackerman argues that the all-volunteer military allows most Americans to remain detached from the human and political costs of prolonged war. While a small portion of society repeatedly serves, much of the country experiences conflict only at a distance.

The Legacy of Forever War

The essay considers what it means for a nation to send young people into conflicts that began before they were born. Their stories reveal both the enduring appeal of military service and the widening divide between those who fight America’s wars and those who do not.

Read the Original Essay

Read “A New Generation Enlists for a War Older Than They Are” at TIME →