Time for an American Civilian Volunteer Corps?

We are closer to World War III than at any time since the end of World War II. President Biden’s abandonment of Afghanistan to the Taliban, enablement of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, appeasement of Iranian influence in the Middle East, and seeming surprise at the Hamas slaughter of over a thousand innocent Israelis has set the stage. The next dominos to fall may include a widening of the war in the Middle East (Hezbollah, Iran, etc), the threatened use of nuclear weapons by Israel, and a Chinese attack on Taiwan. In a vacuum of failed American leadership, it doesn’t take a creative mind to envision where things might go.

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If Theodore Roosevelt (TR) taught us anything in the last century, it was in the run up to World War I. America was confronted with a similarly weak and appeasing President (Woodrow Wilson), and TR decided to take readiness matters into his own hands. He determined it was his obligation to work as aggressively as he could to ensure America was prepared for whatever conflict came her way. Before America’s involvement in World War I, preparation to TR meant (among other things) the training of civilians (businessmen, college students, and others) to be ready to enter service immediately upon any American declaration of war. TR, General Leonard Wood, and other leaders worked in 1915 and 1916 to create military camps, the most prominent of which was in Plattsburg, NY, to train tens of thousands of civilians in basic military skills. Their actions ultimately became known as a movement – the Preparedness Movement. In 1917, the year America joined the war, TR wrote, “Preparedness generally, although not always, averts war. Unpreparedness always invites it, and usually ensures disaster.” When America finally entered the Great War, TR and others had done the work to ensure there was a pipeline of trained officers and infrastructure that was ready to go, and able to be built upon.

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In preparation for World War III, we can take a lesson from TR and do our part to ensure America is prepared again for any potential future conflict. While we likely won’t need a large increase in infantry fighters, we could easily need an array of technical and specialized capabilities which are scattered across our citizenry. It’s highly surprising our country doesn't have an American Civilian Volunteer Corps (ACVC), or equivalent, whereby patriotic citizens can raise their hand and volunteer to provide their services to America in the event of a major conflict or declaration of war. The ACVC could consist of an extensive talent management system that captures the experiences, specialties, and capabilities of Americans willing to voluntarily participate. Skills could include everything from basic soldering capabilities to cyber, intelligence, IT, leadership, economic, finance, contracting, medical, engineering and many other specialties. Additional levels of readiness could be achieved by passing physical fitness examinations, completing additional training, becoming medially qualified and other position specific criteria (security clearance, marksmanship, professional certifications, etc). In a day when patriotism in America is declining, the ACVC could be a useful mechanism to not only improve readiness for war, but also bolster the fighting spirit necessary to succeed in challenging times. TR was a proponent of national service, which was never implemented, but something like the ACVC can be a much more cost effective, and potentially more impactful, substitute to get our citizens engaged. In its best case, it might even help America avoid future wars.

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Ultimately, a system like the ACVC should be managed by the government, but as seen in TR’s times, it often takes the private sector to lead the way. To be useful in the current context, something like the ACVC needs to be put in place fast, which is why it would likely take patriotic private citizens to roll up their sleeves, get in the arena, and get it done. Ideally, an already existing organization, with all the necessary information security infrastructure in place, would decide to take it on as a strategic priority.

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Hopefully through American strength war can be avoided, but in the event it can’t be, it’s best to be prepared. If World War III does come our way, we’ll need a vast array of private citizens to get involved and we’ll need to leverage their unique qualifications to ensure American victory. Right now, America is not doing everything it can to be ready for what is to come. If something like the ACVC existed, it would help, and I would be the first to volunteer!