In a decade littered with violence and war, Ohio University will look back today on the creation and history of one of the greatest military forces in the world.
Beth Bailey, a history professor from Temple University, will speak at 4 p.m. today in 240 Baker University Center as a part of the Contemporary History Institute’s guest-speaker series.
Her talk, titled “Who Serves? Citizenship, the Marketplace and the All-Volunteer Army,” comes shortly after the publication of her most recent book, America’s Army: Making the All-Volunteer Force.
The book focuses on “how the volunteer army was created and how it’s operated and dealt with critical issues,” said Chester Pach, an assistant history professor at OU.
These “critical issues” include bringing different groups in the military — women, gays and minorities — and their various claims of involvement throughout the years, Pach said.
Bailey’s presentation will cover much of the same information.
Along with gaining an understanding of how the all-volunteer army was created, Pach said he hopes audience members will “think in larger terms of the military and the contemporary society and how it should reflect our values and our culture.”
Connie Hunter, an events coordinator for the Contemporary History Institute, said she believes Bailey’s talk will be “very interesting because the young people now have never lived through a draft.”
The event is geared toward students involved with the Contemporary History Institute but is open to the public.
“We get a variety of audience members at every event,” Hunter said.
It cost about $900 to bring Bailey to OU. The Contemporary History Institute covers guest speakers’ travel and living expenses while they are on campus as well as an honorarium for speaking.
“She’s a terrific speaker, and we’re very lucky to have her here,” Pach said.
