Military draft explained: 7 things you need to know - Operation Military Kids (2023)

Almost all men between the ages of 18 and 25 living in the United States are required by law to register for mandatory military service.

Entries for the draft are made and managed by the Selective Service System.

Mandatory military registration is considered a civic obligation for men living in the United States, but the same does not apply to women in the US.

Here are 7 things you need to know about recruiting.

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1. What is military conscription?

In the United States, military conscription requires mandatory registration with the Selective Service for certain individual citizens.

Conscription, also known as conscription, refers to this potential requirement of conscription if the US government deems it necessary to invoke conscription.

Registration for conscription is required by the US government for male citizens within a specified age range.

The purpose of the draft is for the country to have enough personnel to support the armed forces, whether needed for defense or in response to a national emergency.

The US Selective Service System is the agency that oversees preliminary registration.

The Selective Service is also responsible for implementing and enforcing a draft if/when it is enacted by Congress and the President of the United States.

The US military has been an "all-volunteer" force, with no active conscription, since 1973.

This means that each branch of the military is currently made up of people who choose to serve of their own free will.

However, at age 18, male US citizens must register for the draft, regardless of whether or not they have considered military service.

As a result, registered Selective Service members could be (involuntarily) conscripted into the military by an act of Congress in the event of a national emergency or threat.

Fundamentals of Modern Design

The policies and legislation that form the basis of modern military recruiting began when the United States entered World War I.

President Woodrow Wilson signed the Selective Service Act in May 1917, which created the Selective Service System.

The Selective Service initially applied to male citizens between 21 and 30 years old, and later from 18 to 45 years old.

In September 1940, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Selective Service and Training Act into law, establishing the first peacetime draft in US history.

This was in response to World War II and applied to men ages 21 to 36.

Although the Selective Service legislation expired in 1947 and 1950, world events and conflicts such as the Korean War continued to extend the draft.

In 1951, the Selective Service Act was reauthorized as the Universal Military Service and Training Act.

As a result, all males between the ages of 18 and 26 were required to register for mandatory military service.

Examples of the modern draft

Most Americans today associate the draft and the controversies surrounding it with the Vietnam War in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

During this war, up to 2.2 million were conscripted into active military service.

Many of those drafted into the military by the 1969 lottery process under the Selective Service Act became conscientious objectors, "evaded" military service by fleeing the United States, or refused to serve in response to their draft notices.

This resistance to being drafted into the US Armed Forces divided public opinion and emphasized the political, ethical, and practical consequences and focus of recruitment.

In January 1973, the Department of Defense suspended conscription, allowing the Military Selective Service Act to expire in June.

After the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan in 1980, President Jimmy Carter reactivated the Selective Military Service Act through an executive order.

There was no military service mandate, but the law required men between the ages of 18 and 26 to register with the Selective Service System.

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2. How the draft system works

If Congress and the President of the United States authorize a draft, the Selective Service System begins drafting registered males, ages 18 to 25, for military service.

The sequence for the call to duty is usually determined by year of birth and random lottery numbers.

Men called up for military service will be tested for mental, physical, and moral fitness.

On the basis of this examination, they may be admitted to the Armed Forces, deferred or exempted from military service on medical or psychological grounds.

Projections are that if the U.S. enacted a draft, draftees and 20-year-olds would be the first group to be called.

Once a registered natural person reaches the age of 26, he or she exceeds the age of responsibility for the business.

3. Military enlistment requirements for 2022

As of 2022, men in the US aged between 18 and 25 must register with the Selective Service System, by law.

Male US citizens must register within 30 days of turning 18^hebirthday.

Male immigrants, if age 18 or younger than 26, must register within 30 days of arrival in the US.

There are some people who are exempt from registering for the military draft and therefore do not need to fill out any forms in the Secret Service System.

These include:

• Current active service members
• People with specific disabilities
• arrested men
• Men on a student, visitor or diplomatic visa

However, if an active male member is discharged before reaching the age of 26, he must still register.

There are some men (conscientious objectors) who are opposed to military service.

Their reasons vary, but are mostly based on moral and/or religious principles.

These conscientious objectors are still required to register with the Selective Service System by law.

4. Consequences of not inscribing in the Draft

There are consequences for those who are required to register for the draft but fail to do so.

Intentionally avoiding U.S. draft registration is a felony.

Failure to enroll in the Selective Care System may have the following legal and personal consequences:

• Ineligibility for state benefits, especially state-funded student aid
• Ineligibility for professional training, jobs, and/or federal benefits
• Possible prosecution and fine of up to $250,000 in fines and/or up to five years in prison
• Loss of voting rights, etc., due to criminal conviction
• Ineligibility for Citizenship for US Immigrants

If someone does not register for the Selective Service before the age of 26, he will no longer be able to do so.

The most recent prosecution for avoiding military registration took place in 1986.

Since then, the Selective Service System can and does provide information on individuals who do not register for mandatory military service with the Department of Justice.

Those who can provide evidence thatintentionallyAvoiding registration for the draft could get you denied federal or state benefits.

However, this type of feature will likely require a lot of time and money.

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5. How to sign up for the draft

As registration for the draft is required by law, the registration process is quite straightforward and simple.

Here is a step-by-step explanation of how to apply for the draft:

Record

Men who have reached the age of 18 can apply for mandatory military service in several ways:

• To fill inin linerecord
• Post office registration form
• Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) registration form when obtaining driver's license
• Return card sent to postal address (about 18^hebirthday)

Also, some secondary schools facilitate preliminary registration.

Receive proof of registration

Within 90 days of registering for Selective Service, a registration letter and card will be mailed to you.

This letter and card serve as proof of enrollment in the Selection Service.

Anyone who does not receive the letter and ID within 90 days can call the Selective Service System.

In addition, it is important to contact the Selective Service System if there is an error in your registration form, if you change your name or change your address.

Individuals must keep their information current until age 26.

In case of loss of registration card, the attached letter will serve as proof of registration.

After completing registration

No action is required upon receipt of proof of registration unless a draft is enacted.

However, it is up to the holder of the preliminary registration to communicate any new personal information to the Selective Care System.

This includes name or address changes.

Most of the time, after you turn 26, you are exempt from conscription.

6. Women and the Draft

Currently, Selective Service legislation regarding US citizens required to register for mandatory military service applies specifically and only to "male" individuals.

This exclusion of women has been confirmed by the Federal Supreme Court since 1981,Rostker contra Goldberg.

The Department of Defense officially lifted gender restrictions on military service in late 2015, including removing combat restrictions for women.

However, Selective Service continues to apply only to men aged 18 to 25.

Therefore, Congress must amend the law to require or even allow women to register for the Selective Service.

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7. Probability of future draft

It seems highly unlikely that the United States will pass a draft in the near future.

Indeed, many legislators have offered their support to a movement to end mandatory military registration or to include women in recruitment policy as well.

While it is possible that there will be changes to Selective Service legislation in the future, the likelihood of a call-up is very low.

So it looks like the US military will remain a volunteer force for the foreseeable future.

References

Military recruitment during the Vietnam War

Why are women not required to register?

selective service system

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