The United States armed forces is facing its biggest recruiting challenge since the military draft ended in July of 1973. For the next twenty years, the all-volunteer military was easily able to manage the country's conflicts, such as the Persian Gulf war of 1991.
However, in the post-9/11 "War on Terror," the all-volunteer force was inadequate. It was heavily supplemented by reservists and members of the National Guard. In fact, part-time military forces comprised approximately 45% of the total forces who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as 18% of the casualties.