But Nixon decided it needed to continue and asked Congress to approve a two-year extension. The draft law was due to expire at the end of June 1971. It found adequate military strength could be maintained without conscription. The commission issued its report in February 1970. Gates initially opposed the all-volunteer army idea, but changed his mind as the 15-member panel did its work. Rather, the president named a commission headed by Thomas Gates Jr., a former secretary of defense in the Eisenhower administration, to examine the issue. While there was no opposition to an all-volunteer military in the Defense Department or Congress, Nixon took no immediate action toward ending the draft in the early years of his presidency. He believed middle-class youths would lose interest in protesting the war once it became clear that they would not have to fight, and possibly die, in Vietnam. Nixon thought ending the draft could be an effective political weapon against the burgeoning anti-war movement. Nixon was influenced by Martin Anderson, an associate professor at Columbia University. During his time out of office, the GOP nominee had become interested in the prospect of an all-volunteer force. In the 1968 presidential campaign, Nixon had promised to end the draft.
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