Three days before the nation celebrates its independence, another celebration will be taking place. On July 1, 2008, the United States military will be celebrating 35 years of an all-volunteer force. Since the concept’s birth in 1973, the all-volunteer military has been a resounding success, helping to win the Cold War, turn back aggression during the Persian Gulf War, keep peace in the former Yugoslavia, liberate oppressed people in Afghanistan and Iraq, and defend freedom around the world; as a country, we couldn’t be more proud. The Gates Commission argued that an all-volunteer force offered a system consistent with American principles, minimizing government interference and allowing individuals to determine their own life choices in accord with their values. Those arguments have held strong.

In the draft era, roughly 20% of servicemembers were in the bottom third of the aptitude-test scoring range. Today, only 2% of the force is in the bottom third, and more than 66% are in the top third. Today, nearly ½ of servicemembers re-enlists. During the draft, only 1/8 of the force re-enlisted.

For these reasons, along with a myriad of others, The Heritage Foundation believes that the U.S. government can never truly pay military personnel enough for their achievements and sacrifices. Yet, internal reforms can make it possible to pay an all-volunteer force more effectively. Military com¬pensation reform is therefore mandatory.

As we celebrate the accomplishments of our armed forces, we must remember, military compensation reform should not be treated as a "third rail" of military dis¬cussions and annual budget submissions. Nor should the debate over reform be seen as an effort to cut benefits. A serious discussion should precede a genuine and necessary exercise that is vital to the future health and robustness of this country's all-volunteer force. Congress must act now to initiate the first steps toward constructing a viable (emphasis on viable) military compensation system for the 21st century.