In this TIME essay, Elliot Ackerman proposes a limited military draft aimed at the children of America’s wealthiest families as a way to narrow the civil-military divide and make prolonged wars harder to sustain.
The Cost of a Disengaged Public
Ackerman begins at Arlington National Cemetery, where he and a fellow veteran gather to bury Marine Gunnery Sergeant Jonathan “Giff” Gifford. Watching commuters cross the Potomac seemingly unaware of the funeral, his friend argues that Americans need to feel the consequences of wars fought in their name.
A Civil-Military Divide
The post-9/11 wars were fought by an all-volunteer force and financed largely through deficit spending. Ackerman argues that this structure allowed most citizens to remain detached from the human, political, and financial costs of military action.
A Partial Draft
Rather than restoring universal conscription, Ackerman proposes drafting a small percentage of the force for two-year enlistments. Eligibility would be limited to sons and daughters of households in the highest tax bracket, with assignments in combat arms to prevent influence from securing safer positions.
Accountability Through Shared Sacrifice
The proposal is designed to preserve military professionalism while making influential Americans more personally invested in decisions about war. Ackerman argues that shared risk could reduce tolerance for open-ended conflict and reconnect national policy with public responsibility.