Ask Mike: How the Draft Works
Hey Guys,
There are no plans for the military draft to be reinstated, but many people are still interested in its history and procedures. I recently asked the Yahoo! Answers community how the draft works, and did some research of my own.
My first (and, as it turns out, only) stop was the official site for the United States Selective Service System (SSS). The site offers an in-depth section on the logistics of a military draft.
Here’s the abbreviated version: First, Congress and the President have to authorize a draft. Next, the Selective Service implements the lottery. This determines “the order in which registered men are called up” to duty. It starts with eligible men whose 20th birthday falls during that year.
Following that, the SSS “activates and orders” its State Directors and Reserve Forces Officers to report. Next, there are physical, mental, and moral evaluations on all registrants. After that, notices are sent and the first draftees are inducted.
But, hold on. The draft dates back to a time before women had the right to serve in the military. Does this mean women are now eligible to be drafted? As it turns out, no. Again, according to the SSS, “for women to be required to register with the Selective Service, Congress would have to amend the law.”
OK, so women aren’t eligible. What about conscientious objectors? Maybe, but being a conscientious objector isn’t as simple as just declaring yourself to be one. Anyone making the claim is required to explain his beliefs to the local draft board. Should the claim be approved, the registrant may be placed in an Alternate Service Program. Some examples include conservation, education, and health care.
Today, the United States has an all-volunteer army. Anybody know which president instituted the rule? Why was the change made? Please leave me a note below (with links, of course).
Thanks for reading,
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
- Rating:
(2 votes, average: 4.50) - Permalink
- Comments (76)
Loading ...
Subscribe
If you were defered from the draft, only if you were in college or had legal clout. The draft boards choose who they wanted to be drafted. Your friends stayed home while you went to war,nothing fair about the draft believe me. It is as crooked as your city politics.
Believe me war is hell, and you don’t want to be there.
The concept of an all-volunteer army was institued in during the presidency of Richard Nixon when the american public voiced a wide-spread concern regarding the presence of a draft. The commission investigating the possibility of removing the draft was instated in the late 1960′s and the all-volunteer army first came into effect in 1973.
Source: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/06/army_volunteers_063008/
Hey Mike I caught your blog about the draft and wanted to let you know I was a part of the draft in 69. How they did it was by your birthdate. Since my birthdate was in Oct. and they drew it 5th all men who were classified by the S.S with a 1-A classification with a birthdate in Oct were drafted first. Here’s a cool website that explains in detail of the draft procedure. hope this helps. Rick
http://www.landscaper.net/draft.htm
Mike I told you wrong in my first comment I was drafted because my birthdate was Oct 18th and they drew it 5th. It had nothing to do with Oct. If you go to that website you will see that Oct !8th was drawn 5th but Oct 26th could have been drawn at a later number.Those who were drawn first unless they were deferred got a greetings letter right away from the draft board I got mine a couple months after the drawing
HEy?
I’ll go if comes to that. Someone needs to protect America.
Hi Mike mine was picked 335. I’m sure glad I did not have my brother’s b-day Sept 14 no1 pick.
I’d rather be in Jail then the army, at least I’d know I didn’t kill anybody, and be in fear of my soul for the rest of my life.
War is for suckas.
When are you too old to be drafted?
Very nice article. agree with the first poster (graft) war is hell and definitely no one would want to be in there
Look at the comments of our U.S. Military troops today. Many say they only want to serve besides people who want to be there. The all volunteer force is a success, even to this day. Something really wicked would have to happen to even consider a draft again.
The draft will exist of blacks a nd whithes who were not in a approved scholl at that time ,they will be used as cannon fodder at the time of attack. STOP THIS NOW ,WHERE AERE ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WERE IN THE STEETS IN THE SIXTIES? YOU MAY HAVE BEEN ABANDAOND, YOU MAY BE ON YOUR OWN, BURN CITIES AND ABONDON TRUST
EXCUSE MY SPELLINIG , IVE A CANCER THAT AFFECCTS MY MIND TO THOUGHT LINKAGE
The Draft was the only thing with even a ghost of a chance of keeping citizens equal. At least with a draft there was a chance of privileged persons getting to carry their own weight, the way it is now is simply a guarantee that they won’t. Let’s see, who needs to ‘volunteer’ to join the army – bright underprivileged persons who want to improve their lives, or rich, pampered kids who’s parents can buy them anything, including a career? The Draft is a great equalizer, the Volunteer system is just another way to keep the masses down.
BS barbarastriesand,
the draft has been put on a back burner and on a shelf until people stop preaching there is plans to go on governments agenda.
where do you get off telling people that there is no draft, it has been in congress for the last 7 years.
the 1960′s draft was a wonderous thing, i was dran #54 in the ’69 lottery, drafted in may of ’70 viet nam 71-72.
a modern draft would have to include everyone, male and female. white and brown and black. everyone no exceptions. i have a plan of how it would work.
you owe two years of service to the country, two years is not much to ask for a life time of freedom. and you get a choice. you can spend the two years in the military, as a teacher, or a fireman. that is it.
to Jack Barry: the people in the streets in the 1960′s were there because of the draft, if you think ofr a minute if they were drafting rich white kids today there would be a crowd in the streets protesting
I was 16 back in 1972 when they issued draft notices, and my older brother got #62, so joined the USAF. They ended the draft just after he went to basic training. Another dependent at the same base was born on leap year day, and they overlooked issuing numbers for Feb 29, so he lucked out.
There are in fact plans for the draft to be reinstated. Both McCain and Obama talk in code of their desire to do so. McCain has said that it would take WWIII to reinstate the Draft, but he also refers to the current “war” on a tactic as WWIII. Obama uses code words for the draft such as “national service” (if you read the 1952 Republican Party platform, you’ll see that “national service” was and is a euphemism to describe the draft).
The only way to prevent a draft is to reject the McBama ticket and instead elect a 3rd party candidate. If a draft is instated, as a draft is a form of slavery, the only moral thing to do is to resist. To willingly allow oneself to be enslaved and sent off to a foreign country to murder innocent civilians in unconscionable. To flee to Canada is retreatism and does nothing to defeat or otherwise weaken evil. To just submit to the secret police when they show up to take you off to a secret prison is also unacceptable and immoral, for the same reasons as submitting to a gang of criminals is. The moral thing to do if you are at risk of being enslaved into the military is to purchase protection and to resist those criminals who wish to enslave you in the same manner that you would resist an armed robber. That was the original purpose of the 2nd Amendment, afterall.
How sexist that women can’t be drafted. If men were getting drafted, I would want to be able to go too. Congress should amend this sexist law.
I was drafted just before the lottery system started. They basically were drafting everyone back then unless they were in school. They also were drafting conscientious objectors. In the Marine units I was in their jobs were clerical. They operated typewriters and never got promotions. I’ve heard the NCO and Officers calling them “office pogeys”.
Here in Argentina, the Draft was eliminated because of the scandal arising from the death of a poor kid, a conscript called Omar Carrasco.
He was drafted in 1994, and was found dead some time later. At first the official position was that he had gone AWOL. In fact, he had been beaten to death by army officers (the truth was never fully investigated so not even the names of the perpetrators are certain).
After this crime made the news and became a national scandal, the Mandatory Military Draft was abolished, and I had the joy of knowning that my kid brothers would not be subject to it. But it took one murder, one lost life, even though the violent and abusive conditions that those 17 year old kids were subjected to had been well known long before this happened.
The draft will be reinstated if we McCain is elected.
actually, until you sign on the line in the in processing you are not drafted
men go in, and are handed all this paperwork to sign. if they refuse, (and they will be threatened and maybe even be locked up for 3 days) the military has not recourse but to let them go and they are free and clear having met their obligation to the draft
little thing i picked up after being in the military for ever it seems now, but retired
AMERICA RULES!!!!!
I was drafted during the Korean Conflict. I served on a County Selective Service Board during the Vietnam War. We had a couple that claimed they were “conscientious objectors”.. We had two guys that left the country, they went to Canada. I don’t think either ever returned. Carter offered an amnesty program, to heal the country, but it was a feeble gesture. Some were deferred to finish college. I don’t know which State Cheney was in, but he rec’d 5 deferments.
McCain stated a couple of wks ago, he would reinstate the “draft” if it became necessary. If we enter into more conflicts, it probably will be necessary. Chicken butts who are afraid or unwilling to serve their country, should stay home with their mother’s.
My husband was drafted in October of 72 and by Jan. of 73 they dropped it. what Luck! he still wishes now though that he had been in the military.
opps 0ct of 73 and dropped in 74
Hey Mike, I think they should reinstate the draft. I am a proud United States Soldier, and I think it might do society some good to get the hell out from in front of their TV’s and go see how the rest of the world lives. Even with a weak dollar we have many more amenities and rights and protections that they do not have. I just think America should get her ass off of the couch and see how good we have it. Our country is in our hands and we are flushing her down the toilet.
During the Vietnam years, I lost my student (2-S) deferment during my third year in a Junior College (mostly called Community Colleges now). You were required to keep up with your studies and your class – and JCs were only meant to be 2-year schools. One of my friends in a similar situation got his draft notice, so I called my local board and was told I could enlist, but do it quickly because my notice was being processed.
Enlisting gave me much more choice over my inevitible Army career. I was able to choose an area of interest, gain rank quickly and avoid (most) combat. But I still ended up in Vietnam and strangely enough, the Army really did give me a career.
FYI, I am caucasian, came from a middle class family and was finally making up for wasted time during my first year (when I went a bit crazy with the freedom). I was working a lot of hours to pay my way, but that first college year of partying is what caused me to almost be drafted.
Personally I think all males (and probably females) should serve at least two years in the military or other national service regardless of their educational plans. It builds character, exposes you to different people and toughens you up. It would also solve some problems we are facing with our military shortages today. I think enough young people would choose certain of the combat arms to suffice, but in case of a wartime emergency we’d have a well-trained force at the ready.
we don’t need another war, we don’t need to be a hero, we don’t need to agrebate another country to be a superior country, we need to understand each countries policy, set up a country to abide the 10 commandments where we stand for
Hey man , why the hell can’t I log into my acount? What the fuck is going on?????????
Right the first time Renee – dropped in ’73
I remember it well…
June 8, 73 – Senior Prom
June 9, 73 – turned 18
June 10 73 – Graduation
June 11 73 – @ the Draft Board
Get my card – expecting to go into another room for the physical –
(my card is classified as 1H – W T F is a 1H? – In case of emergency use as Hostage?)
The secretary sees me looking at it and says “Congress has abolished the draft, you can leave”
I hauled my but out of there faster than a greyhound on ELAX (in case congress changed their mind), and I didn’t turn around. There were still schoolmates and relatives of mine who were to be found facedown in ricepaddies before we pulled out in April ’75. There was a ceasefire in Jan ’73 (didn’t mean diddly-squat), bullets,bombs, napalm and tigertraps were still indiscriminate!
I’ve been through many wars, through World War 2, and family since World War 1, then the partitioning
of India, Palestine, China, followed by the wars in Korea, Vietnam, Kuwait, Bagdad, and I saw young men in uniform by our house go to war and never be seen again, while some returned, injured or as some of our family men in veterans’ cemeteries. I haven’t gone myself but I know what it would be like now if they hadn’t gone. They volunteered or they were drafted. Were if not for their sacrifices we wouldn’t be here where we are now, and very soon we may all have to die here when those who have been talking about killing Americans here and abroad make good their promise to annihilate Christians, Jews, and all others not of their faith. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
January 1 of 1973 they held the lottery draft. The numbers came out, 1,2, 3–ME. April 24th, my birthday, was fourth, fourth out of 366. WTF! I turned eighteen in April. They stopped drafting in February. Far as I know that’s the only thing Richard Nixon ever did right.
Don’t you have to have proof of some sort for you not to be a part of draft like pictures of you rallying against war?
If a draft is ever called, they better exempt employees of government contractors. My husband is a software engineer/designer for a company that builds training simulators for the military. His dad was an Air Force “lifer” and his younger brother is in the Air Force Reserves and plans on becoming an Air Force officer once he finishes his degree. His dad always tells people that he has TWO sons serving their country; one just will never see real combat. Yeah, the only combat my husband ever sees is simulated but without him and others with his skills our troops would not get the proper training they need to serve in combat.
My father-in-law has always said that a non-volunteer military would be a disaster anyway. If people are forced to do something they don’t want to do, they’re going to do it as sucky as possible. Let’s face it, the draft DOESN’T work. Yeah some people may think that the military was great for them; in reality its not good for everyone. My husband has a bachelor’s degree in computer science; he loves what he does and taking it up gave him a sense of direction. If you were to force most dyed-in-the-wool Army types into getting a degree that involves doing tons of super hard projects that keep you so busy you barely have time to eat or sleep for four years, they’ probably wouldn’t be able to handle it! There’s actually a steadily increasing shortage of computer programmers/IT professionals; are we going to start drafting people to do that?
The idea of a Draft in this liberal country is not only naive but also stupid. Why force people to serve for something they hardly think they fight for on a daily basis already? Also, to the person who says that everyone should enlist for at least two years, regardless of educational plans, that is an ignorant thought, and do not talk about shortages because surely it’s budget isn’t.
There should be no draft, instead when the people see fit that they should join together under one idea, see their Civil Rights as earned not birth right, and take up a strong national pride well then we won’t have a problem with a draft, won’t need one, but then again to get to this kind of state you would of to be an extremist left or right wing (Communism and Fascism
) which liberal states like the U.S. do not have as a community.
The draft ended during the Nixon administration. I held onto my student deferment until I got my commission.
Most of the noise these days is from youngsters who really don’t understand. There’s almost no chance of one being reinstituted. The draftee who went through a few months of training and then went to war was in a different army. Now, everything is so technical and specialized that those kids would be next to useless. And the military is so stretched at present that there wouldn’t be enough of them to spare for training purposes. Not to mention that the military simply don’t want them. But scare tactics for the gullible will, I suppose, be with us always.
I personally was honestly thinking it over when they came and talked at my highschool. I spoke to my parents about it and just really wasn’t sure where I would go after graduation. Then my step-dad sat me down, he served 4 years in the army in Korea. He told me to really think about it and don’t let anyone try to influence me with college money and all that. He said they would help get my way through college. I was then sat down by my uncle who retired after over 30 years in the air force. He was very strict in saying that he did not want me joining the military. He said you don’t want that life, they will lie to you and you don’t want that lifestyle. He told me to go to college, find a nice woman and start a family. That’s exactly what I did. I’m not sure why he chose a career and then talked me and both of his sons out of a military career… but we all listened. I have nothing against military guys, some are cut out for it and excel and others are meant to keep it together here at home.
It was a principal of our founding fathers to have a volunteer military service. It had to do with how the British Empire used conscription. Due to need, a draft was used to fill the gaps and provide an adequate military.
It was Nixon, in 1973, who ended the active draft and brought us to the all volunteer service we have today.
I can see from some comments, several people still have no idea about the laws governing it. The thought that simply not signing will get you off the hook is wrong and it’s dangerous to give such bad advice to people. If that were true, people would not have left the US to avoid the draft. The truth is, if you don’t cooperate, you can be sent to prison. Some people were sent to prison. There are also restrictions based on age.
The government is wrecking the economy, so the poor young people of this country will be forced to go to war to earn a living. The draft will no longer be necessary.
why arent new questions being posted on yahoo answers? what is wrong?
why did all the question boards freeze ? it’s been hours and no new question , no new questions at all!
This explains how the Draft work last time there was on. If a new draft occurs, it will require an act of Congress. Congress doe not know how to authorize anything without changing the rules. Therefore this process is, by definition, out of date. Not even Congress knows what the actual rules would be if a new draft was implemented. They haven’t made them yet.
Was drafted in ’51 got out of the Korean ‘conflict’ without a scratch. Got discharged in Jan. ’53. In Feb. the IRS informed me I had to file a form 1040, I owed taxes on my army wages, even though I lost about $9.000.00 the two yrs. I served in the army.
As controversial as a draft would be today, in the 1860s, a draft for the Union Army for the Civil War let to days of deadly riots. I’d like to think that we have evolved as a people since then.
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/on-this-day/July-August-08/On-this-Day–New-York-Draft-Riots-Begin.html
if congress and the president authorized and voted for it then i think it would be necessary and approve—-the alternative would be to let the enemy take over our country because we didnt have enough men who had the guts to fight
Wow! Reading these comments have really been interesting to say the least. I am in the Army and presently deployed to Iraq. Myself and many others debate/discuss/argue this subject. One thing we have concluded is that it is not a communistic value to be required to serve your country. This would include/imply any form of service such as education, medical, military etc., When I was in Korea (a country based on Democratic principles). All of the males had to serve a mandatory 2yrs in their military. I think America should stop being ethnocentric towards other countries and cultures and adopt some of their systems. I am stop-lossed and to me that really is a back-door draft. Also, here is one point to ponder. The people that do join the service (mainly speaking of enlisted military) are socio-economically challenged. Not all, but a lot. So in a very inadvertant way, there is a draft. If a draft were to be enacted by congress, well. . . the kid that was going to go to Brown, Vassar, MIT, Florida State or even Harvard may find himself living in Sadam’s old warehouses with the rest of us. Am I making sense? The draft would be based on the pool of eligables and not just America’s poor.
I think it’s ridiculous that women aren’t eligible for draft.
It’s the 21st century!
If you are a certain level of intelligence and education you can be drafted into the military even if you were not eligible in nonwar time because of a lack of required education thus this prevents this person from being anything other than a field soldier who will be under direct fire along with never promoted. Those who have served longer can get nonactivation status for their companies such that newer recruits who have benefitted less from the military will be first in line to be sent to the front. As they will possibly all be placed in reservist status the chances they recieve disability and any type of assistance after returning home is very slim because this seems to be reserved predominantly for anyone who has served in active duty. Our youngest our brightest our most promising will be squandered in a long war for systems that do not benefit the majority of us in the world and brother will be turned against brother as to the human race by those who have created the environments that lead to poverty, suffering, and dispare that leads to war environments by convincing us the true enemy is another person who had to work hard to survive to care for their families who is just being sent to war by more of the same in government bodies in their countries who tell them we who do not have the priveledge of birth economics to get out of going to war by attending a college because we cannot afford to continually attend college because we have to work to support ourselves and our families. There is not any reason for the people who run the Petroleum industry to shut down oil wells to bring up profits when they have many many multimillion dollar houses which can house 22 car garages to the point that people in India are starving to death today because they want another house they only vacation in that they leave enough paid staff in to care for it while they are gone.
The foreign governments tell the working class there the same the reason the things are so bad in the world is your enemy the working class of the US are the reason you are suffering, not that I refuse to give your women birth control so you do not have too many children such that you suffer because I want to have enough workers who are desperate for work such that I can pay your children 15 cents a day to make fire works that may explode and kill all of them as transpired in China not too long ago and many young children were killed.
I think the draft rules should be changed to those who benefit most by the system that they their children are the first to go
such as long lines of welfare drug abusers who get fre housing being sent first which I have seen in St. Petersburg
and bosses who hire illegals to under pay them then claim they pay more so they can rip off the IRS and systems more while the working class supports their children because they work for cash and can claim they get no income
and the rich who institute laws that their children do not have to go to war because they are in college
anyone who is a millionare or votes for a war should be first in line to go
Let’s see how this changes the tune of lets create an environment in the world that keeps workers over populated under paid ripped off
and all the people in immigration who are still handing out student visas without checking to see if everything is completed
etc.
instead of us who do the work to be treated like we are the dregs of the earth being drafted
I think the congress man who was playing with the little boys while being paid to serve us should be first in line to go
Because so many people left the country who objected to the Vietnam war and because we eventually had a president who had refused to go to Vietnam. Because we pardoned everyone eventually it is well known a draft will not work if it is not a popular supported war such that volunteer military is currently all they know would work. For this reason conditions in the military have steadily improved along with the quality of the soldier enlisted since I first served in the military. Higher ranking can no longer physically abuse soldiers as was once accepted.
Hi Mike,
i was wondering if your last name was wallace because if it is, your my uncle. if this is you, HI uncle Mike
My husband jokes that the draft was the only lottery he he’s ever won.
When I served in the Army (many years ago now) I was told by many NATO soldiers how much they admired US soldiers. We are considered more professional because we are an all volunteer military.
Oh, and it was Carter who established the Selective Service registration.
if the draft is not on right now & if it ie an unpopular thing for the gov. to do, then why do boys or males have to register when they turn 18 yrs old. The notification that comes with the registration card has very threatning language & I as a mother of two boys was certainly very apprehensive when they had to register & still stay in a state of some fear that if the draft is reinstated they may have to go fight someone else’s war.
If the draft reinstatement is a remote possibility then why do the men have to register.if the army is voluntary then why scare mothers like me by the mandatory registration? Unless there is another reason for it which i would like to know.
I am 28 and have served my country in the US Navy. All i know of the draft is what my father has told me. He served his time in Vietnam and came home to find that his brother was being drafted. He volunteered to take his brothers service and went back to hell for his family. He now says that if this country reinstated the draft, what it’s youth should do is stand up against the politicians and government that started the very war it wants YOU to go die for. I agree with him. I love my country when it is being ran as it was ment to be ran, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE. But this country is no longer ran by the people. It’s ran by those who have money and power. It makes me want to puke when politicians that dodged the draft or were protected by their rich daddies back when are found making up reasons to go to war and sending their countries youth to fight and die for their personal vindetta. I would have to agree with one of the posts above. If this country reinstates the draft during an overwhelmingly unpopular war, it’s citizens should recognise its constitutional rights and take up arms to fight against the very government that wishes to enslave them.
Having said all that, if a war is worth fighting, i will volunteer AGAIN to go fight it. If it is not in the interest of this country and it’s people, i will resist.
I see now one knew the answer, so here it is. A lottery system was set up with birthdates for that yr( mine was 1955) All dates from Jan 1st to Dec 31st was in the barrel. The first 1/3 of the names were gone no matter what. The 2nd 2/3 could get exempted thru variuos programs like college deferrment or your Co. said you were an ‘Invaluable employee needed for manufacturing war time materials. The last 1/3 were deferred as 1H and could be called up later. My # was #1 at 10/29/1955. This way of drafting caused the phrase, “you’re # is up”
We fought in the streats,were beaten by those who disagreeded, gassed, k-9nd,put on j.edgars hit list,lost lives and freedom to beat the dreft in our time ,you I-pod and blackberry pussies, let them reinstate the law, with not one bit of balls<live with it, I hope you dickheads eat sand for chenys 100 years.
I read some responses then I read Holly Perez and I have to agree with her.
The politicians who kept saying, “I support the war” or “we must support the President” at one point had but one off spring serving in Iraq and that was probably not in combat.
Our system is broken, we now have…politically “correct” senior officers in positions of authority in combat whereas formally we had qualified senior officers running and processing a war.
Gone are the days of competent leadership such as Abrams in Viet Nam or Schwarzkopf in Iraq. What we have now is a litany of politically promoted incompetents subjecting our military to decimation at the hands of religious fanatics that began killing those who don’t share their disturbed religious fantasy as early as 750 BCE.
Our “leadership” is guilty of gross incompetence, profound ignorance and special interest serving. I say that many of our senior politicians deserve and have earned…Leavenworth!
Why is Yahoo! not producing like it used to. Every sight takes forever to get to. When watching the news, it is start stop start stop it is driving me crazy.
So what the hell is going on???
You young people should be thankful that the draft no longer exists.
After surviving the Vietnam war it took my brother 20 painful years to die from the agent orange our own government sprayed on our men in Vietnam.
I would not wish that death on anyone.
The government can’t keep our own country safe from acts against human rights, so how the hell are they going to help a foreign country.
Get real and make the government take care of the Americans here on US soil first. Instead of excalating the money sent overseas so the politians can get richer while we park our cars and struggle to feed our children.
dog you got it all wrong and that’s that the details you are saying is about a once installed millatary draft and not the draft definition as that for example there is no requirement to have men drafted or to have 20 year old men drafted. In a single sentence a millatary draft is a selection by an eligible method of an set of civillians to work as members of a millatary organization of suffitient authority and requirements. So that in simpler terms its that if the govenrment of indunesia desides that they are gonna draft all visiting foriners from year 2000 onwards and if it has a authority and powers for getting you to their millatary as long as you visited to thire country after year 2000 but the system of selection used inb the united states if generously described in http://www.sss.gov/seq.htm mabey to reinstate it for war on mostly common islamic idea of good against american idea of the good.
Really great topic great disscution
I was too young for the last draft. Don’t think they were so desperate to take kindergarden girls….
I however, did join the service and went to Desert Storm in 1991. I saw a lot of changes for women in the service during my enlistment.
One big change was that when I first joined they had a limitation on the amount of women who could join. It didn’t matter how smart or pretty or even what social class if you were a woman…only few were chosen. Rember in the early nineties and before women didn’ fly in combat nor go on combat ships. Women didn’t go on patrols nor serve on the “front line”.
With that said women have served our country in all wars including the Revolution. We have been captrued by enemy forces during WW2 and other previous wars…
Now women have expanded their rolls better than ever before. I think that when President Clinton lifted combat restrictions on women and opened many new jobs. When the military stopped the limited percent of women they admitted and allow more women to fill many jobs, we stepped up the game.
One big reason the draft hasn’t been initiated…Is Women. Yes, because women have volunteered to step in and fill all of the rolls previously closed to them in other wars. The need for men has been filled by women.
So any young man at home that never wanted to serve for what ever reason can thank a military woman for volunteering to take his place.
As both a previous campus protestor and a former Naval officer, I oppose the draft. Draftees are difficult to work with because they don’t want to be there. They don’t follow orders well. (I’m referring to today, not during the 50′s, 40′s etc.)
As far as being a conscientious objector, the key thing that you have to prove is that you are opposed to ALL wars, not just the current one.
The requirement to REGISTER for the draft still exists. Failure to do so has severe penalties. The actual enactment of the process of drafting ended in 1973, but can be re-activated whenever Congress and the Pres feel it’s necessary.
Stating that “moral evaluation” is used for qualifing as a draftee, this seems an oximoron to me. War is immoral to begin with. And, morals based on what philosophy SINCE WE SUPPOSEDLY CANNOT HAVE GOD IN OUR GOVERNMENT. ( And, I am not a religious person. I am very much against organized religion. I am a firm believer that the human race is not ready for organized religion any larger than a family unit.) More and more, I am in agreement with an ex boss whose philosophy was that we are still at the level of needing to carry a gun. Just like the Old West. Maybe people would respect a little better. It has been proven through history, the same mistakes over, and over, and over. The human race is extremely slow in mental development. How many years have we been on the planet and we still have wars, hunger, ignorance, crime?? We cant get along. We cant even communicate. Give me a break! If that’s not SLOW ON THE UPTAKE what is?
If my memory is correct, the draft lottery was 1st done in November of 1969. I pulled #47 and I was in the Army by March 1st, 1970. I was 19, so that 20 years old thingee can’t be right. August 4th I was in Vietnam for 14 months and 4 days. I extended my tour of duty in Vietnam to get out of the Army 6 months early.
during the vietnam war all men of appropriate age were required to join the military…if a man refused to go he was sent to jail…the vietnam war proved to be a disaster with so many people dead, injured, or mentally ill….i imagine they stopped the draft after the vietnam war…
During the vietnam it was like a lottery, if your number came up you were pretty much screwed. My dad voluntered for the draft. He said it was only a matter of time before he was picked so he just made it easier.
WOW, it’s like a traitor convention in here.
So funny that the left just suddenly “brings up” the draft around election time just like 2004. And yahoo being the lefty stronghold that it is just so happens to post about it.
LOL, such transparent boobbery.
Great!
It’s really very helpful.
Protecting America means keeping criminals out of our political offices. That´s where our wars should take place FIRST! WAKE UP AMERICA. DONT BE DUMB.
When was the last time we WON A WAR? Does this not tell you all you SEA MONKEYS anything? AND, simply put, when was the last time the LEADER RESPONSIBLE namely the president offer his kids for the FRONT LINES to set an example as LEADERS????? DOES THAT NOT TELL YOU SOMETHING FOR GOODNESS SAKE. WAKE UP AMERICA AND WORLD!