WASHINGTON - The war in Iraq marks the first time in modern history that the United States has fought an extended conflict with an all-volunteer military.

The strain of fighting nearly four years in a two-front war has put unprecedented stress on the Army and the Marine Corps, which have borne the brunt of the fighting. It also has raised serious questions about whether an all-volunteer force can be maintained over the long term or whether a draft is worth looking at.

Even if troops were to pull out of Iraq tomorrow, the United States faces a war of unknown duration against al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Other threats include Iran and North Korea.

The Iraq Study Group warned in its report last month that the war in Iraq has put the country in a bind.

"An extraordinary amount of sacrifice has been asked of our men and women in uniform, and of their families," the group wrote. "The American military has little reserve force to call on if it needs ground forces to respond to other crises around the world."

"I think America is on a collision course with itself because America has worldwide obligations," said Frank Schaeffer, co-author of "AWOL: The Unexcused Absence of America's Upper Classes From Military Service -- and How It Hurts Our Country."

"All it's going to take is one more conflict or one more world crisis," Schaeffer said, "and we would be very soon facing the fact that no matter what our position on these issues is, we're going to be facing a simple choice of act or don't act. And if we do, then we're going to have to have alternatives."

At least one lawmaker has proposed a radical alternative. Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., wants to reinstate the draft.

Service requirement

Rangel's proposal would require all U.S. residents ages 18 to 42 to perform two years of national service, either in the military or as civilians working in ports or hospitals or filling other public service roles. The only people exempted would be high school students up to age 20, conscientious objectors and those too unhealthy to serve.

Rangel, an Army veteran who received a Bronze Star in the Korean War, opposes the Iraq war and has put forth a draft bill every year since 2002. Critics accuse him of political grandstanding.

Some fellow lawmakers find his basic argument compelling: If the war in Iraq is the national security threat the Bush administration says it is, shouldn't all Americans be asked to do their part to defend the country?

"I think it's a legitimate question to ask," said Rep. Sanford D. Bishop Jr., D-Ga. "I don't personally believe the country is ready for a draft. But I believe that if they felt a serious enough threat, all able-bodied Americans would probably want to support our national security in whatever ways they could."

Asked recently why he has never asked Americans to make sacrifices for the war, the president said people have sacrificed in other ways.

"I think a lot of people are in this fight," Bush said in an interview Jan. 16 with PBS news anchor Jim Lehrer. "I mean, they sacrifice peace of mind when they see the terrible images of violence on TV every night."

The president said he had considered a draft but rejected it. "I think the volunteer army is working, and we've got to keep it strong," he said.

Alternatives to draft

The United States hasn't had a military draft since 1973, when Congress eliminated conscription as the Vietnam War drew to a close.

For most of its history, the United States has been without a draft. The North and the South conscripted forces during the Civil War. There was a draft during World War I and again during World War II. The most recent draft lasted from 1948 to 1973.

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