Rebuilding a Republican Army – Steele Brand

There are dangerous forces in the world that are already plotting similar attacks on American soil.

The question isn’t whether American territory will be attacked, but how we will be equipped to respond.

Americans no longer wish to serve in the military or fund the materiel needed by those who do serve.

With less than 1% of the population serving, there’s also a disconnect between civilians and soldiers.

The Roman Republic fought off authoritarian and mercenary armies with an unending supply of citizen-soldiers who had been habituated to serve their republic.

The framers looked to the Hebraic republic, the classical republics of Greece and Rome , the medieval Germanic tradition of militias, and republican thinkers like Montesquieu when they considered how to constitute our military.

The National Guard is now nearly indistinguishable from the Reserves and throughout the War on Terror it looked more like Active Duty service.

The reforms should increase the limitations states may place on military service, with options for shorter enlistments after the initial training is complete.

These minutemen-for-a-modern-age will be trained to endure hardship and fight ferociously when needed.