Blacks and the Military

by Binkin, Martin; Eitelberg, Mark J.; Schexnider, Alvin J.

• ISBN13: 9780815709732
• ISBN10: 0815709730
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1982-06-01
• Publisher: Brookings Institution Press

Summary

For much of the nation's history, the participation of blacks in the armed forces was approximately in line with their proportion in the total population. This changed during the 1970s: by 1980 one of every three Army GIs and one of every five marines were black. The reaction has been mixed.Many Americans look with approval on the growth of black participation in military service, since it often affords young blacks educational, social, and financial opportunities that constitute a bridge to a better life not otherwise available to them. But for other Americans, the opportunities are outweighed by the disproportionate imposition of the burden of defense on a segment of the population that has not enjoyed a fair share of the benefits that society confers. From this perspective, the likelihood that blacks would suffer at least a third--and perhaps a half--of the combat fatalities in the initial stages of conflict is considered immoral, unethical, or otherwise contrary to the percepts of democratic institutions. Some also worry that military forces with such a high fraction of blacks entail risks to U.S. national security, A socially unrepresentative force, it is argued, may lack the cohesion considered vital to combat effectiveness. Others fear that such a force would be unreliable if it were deployed in situations that would test the alliance of its minority members. And some have even expressed concern that a large proportion of blacks may raise questions about the status of U.S. fighting forces, as judged by the American public, that nation's allies, and its adversaries.The authors of this book examine evidence on both sides of the issue in an effort to bring objective scrutiny to bear on questions that for many years have been loaded with emotion and subjective reactions. They also discuss the implications for the military's racial composition of demographic, economic, and technological trends and the possible effects of returning to some form of conscription.Brookings Studies in

Table of Contents

The Setting	1	(10)
From Bunker Hill to Vietnam	11	(28)
The First Three Centuries	11	(7)
World War II and Korea: The Fight for the Right to Fight	18	(14)
Vietnam and the New Era of Racial Representation	32	(7)
Blacks in the Post-Vietnam Army	39	(23)
Recruitment and Retention	39	(6)
Profile of Black Volunteers	45	(17)
Benefits versus Burdens	62	(22)
Benefits of Military Service	65	(10)
Burdens of Military Service	75	(9)
Racial Composition and National Security	84	(36)
Individual Capabilities	84	(14)
Group Performance	98	(17)
Foreign Pereceptions and Reactions	115	(5)
Looking Ahead	120	(32)
Ethnodemographic Trends	120	(1)
Tested Abilities and Aptitudes	121	(4)
Economic Factors	125	(7)
Technological Trends	132	(3)
The Prospective Military Buildup	135	(1)
Military Manpower Policies	136	(16)
The Policy Dilemma	152	(33)
Appendixes
A. Racial-Ethnic Categories in the Armed Forces	160	(3)
B. Statistical Tables	163	(22)
Index	185