livefromhooverdc_banner_v2.jpg

 

 

The Hoover Institution hosted "Total Volunteer Force: Blueprint for Pentagon Personnel Reform" on Thursday, February 2, 2017 from 4:00pm - 5:30pm EST. 

The Hoover Institution hosted a discussion on the Total Volunteer Force summary report authored by JP Conte Fellow Dr. Tim Kane on Thursday, February 2nd from 4:00pm - 5:30pm EST.  Admiral Gary Roughead (USN, retired) opened the session with a keynote speech, followed by a short presentation by Dr. Kane, comments from a distinguished panel, and a discussion with attendees.

Agenda
4:00 p.m. - Keynote
Admiral Gary Roughead (Ret.), Distinguished Military Fellow, Hoover Institution

4:15 p.m. - Presentation of Total Volunteer Force summary report
Dr. Tim Kane, JP Conte Fellow on Immigration, Hoover Institution

4:30 p.m. - Panel & audience discussion
Mackenzie Eaglen, resident fellow in the Marilyn Ware Center for Security Studies at the American Enterprise Institute.
Miriam Krieger, Air Force F-16 pilot and Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

The report (downloadable PDF) celebrates the continued success of the US military's volunteer force and calls for 20 specific reforms that can improve talent management. TVF recommendations cover three main areas: job-matching, compensation, and performance evaluation. The recommendations will give more flexibility to every service, so that, for example, the Marines can hold firm to the personnel structure in place right now while the Army can transform.

As former Secretary of State George Shultz writes in the Foreword: "The ironic thing about the All-Volunteer Force is that those who enter the armed services volunteer only once-when they join. After joining the armed forces, their careers become subject to a variety of regulations, regardless of their own preferences. Isn't it about time that someone took a look at this situation and made some suggestions?" 

Upcoming Events

Thursday, October 29, 2026
Civics Programs And Their Critics
The Alliance for Civics in the Academy held "Civics Programs and their Critics" with John von Heyking, Anthony Ives, Hollis Robbins, and Joseph… Hoover Institution, Stanford University
Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Ballot
America Votes 2026: Understanding The Midterm Elections
The Hoover Institution's Center for Revitalizing American Institutions invites you to attend America Votes 2026: Understanding the Midterm Elections…
Wednesday, November 4, 2026 4:30 PM Pacific Time
Milorad Drachkovitch
Work, Exile, And Home: Honoring Milorad Drachkovitch & Reopening The Polich Library
Join us to honor Milorad M. Drašković, whose three decades at the Hoover Institution shaped its Library & Archives, on the thirtieth anniversary… Hoover Tower, Stanford, California
overlay image