Alex Wagner, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, speaks at the RAND Corporation’s “America’s All-Volunteer Force: recognizing its Success and Charting a Path for the Future” event in Arlington, Va., May 3, 2024. Wagner underscored the all-volunteer force’s legacy and direct contribution to national security while laying the framework for a rapidly evolving world. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Nick Z. Erwin)