As Congress debates automatic enrollment of those eligible for the draft and a proposal to include women, many wonder if a military draft is coming, and how that would play out.
Although a military draft anytime soon is extremely unlikely, here are your questions answered.
What is the Draft?
The draft is a process by which individuals are chosen for non-volunteer, mandatory enlistment (conscription) into the armed forces. It is run by the Selective Service.
What is the Selective Service?
The Selective Service System (SSS) was first created during WWI with the Selective Service Act of 1917. It is the agency that registers and enrolls eligible men and runs the draft if enacted.
Why does a draft occur?
Drafts have occurred throughout history when a country’s military is not large enough to effectively manage a threat or battle. In the US it has primary been implemented during war time, although in 1940, the US imposed the first peace time draft for readiness in case the country was drawn into WWII.
When has the US instituted drafts in the past?
Drafts were implemented during the American Revolution, Civil War, WWI, WW2, Korean War and the Vietnam War.
There were unsuccessful attempts to establish a draft for the War of 1812, and the Spanish-American War of 1898 was made up of volunteers including Native Americans.
When was the last draft?
The last man enrolled during a draft occurred on June 30, 1973. The Vietnam War officially ended 2 years later.
How does a draft get instituted?
For a military draft to be implemented Congress would have to pass legislation and it be signed by the President.
Who is subject to the draft and needs to register with the Selective Service?
All male citizens and immigrants between the ages of 18-25 must register with the selective service within 30 days of turning 18 or entering the US.
Are women subject to being drafted?
At this time women are not eligible hence are not required to register with the SSS. An amendment to the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed in the House to include women in the Selective Service and use gender neutral wording, but it was dropped during negotiations in the Senate.
What about transgender males? Transgender females?
According to the Selective Service:
US citizens or immigrants who are born male and changed their gender to female are still required to register. Individuals who are born female and changed their gender to male are not required to register.
What happens if a male 18-25 years old does not register with the Selective Service?
Without an exemption, failure to register may result in imprisonment for up to five years and/or a fine of no more than $250,000.
How is one exempt from registering?
According to the SSS website, all men must register except:
- If a man is placed in a hospital, nursing home, long-term care facility, or mental institution on or before his 18th birthday, had no breaks of institutionalization of 30 days or longer, and remained institutionalized until his 26th birthday, he is not required to register.
- If he is confined to home, whether his own or someone else’s (including group homes), on or before his 18th birthday and cannot leave the home without medical assistance (for example, by ambulance, or with the help of a nurse or EMT), and remained homebound until his 26th birthday, he is not required to register.
How does the draft work?
After a draft is established by Congress and the President, all males 18-25 are again reminded of their civic duty and the law to register with the Selective Service.
Then a National Draft Lottery ensues, based on random selection of birth dates, and the order by which the dates are drawn establishes an order of those men to be drafted.
The order of men to be drafted is as follows:
- Those who turn 20 years old in the calendar year in which the lottery takes place
- Those turning 21 years old in the calendar year in which the lottery takes place
- Those turning 22 years old in the calendar year in which the lottery takes place
- Those turning 23 years old in the calendar year in which the lottery takes place
- Those turning 24 years old in the calendar year in which the lottery takes place
- Those turning 25 years old in the calendar year in which the lottery takes place
Those 18 and 19 years of age could be called next, but it is highly unlikely.
How they choose the order of those men drafted is explained by the SSS here:
The lottery process begins with two large air lottery drawing machines. First, 365 (366 for men born in a leap year) balls having both a date and a month on each of them are loaded in one of the machines. Second, balls with a number from 1 to 365 (366 for men born in a leap year) on each are loaded into the second machine. Official observers certify that all air mix balls were loaded in the Titan lottery drawing machines. This is done in full view of all observers, officials, and the media.
One lottery ball is drawn randomly from the machine containing those with dates marked on them, and one is then drawn from the machine containing balls with numbers 1 through 365 (366 if the draft will call men born during a leap year) marked on them. The date and number are paired to establish the sequence number for each birth date.
How is one exempt from the draft?
Select exemptions, postponements or reassignments may be available to high school and college students, military personnel, government officials, those with dependents who would qualify for “hardship” if drafted, ministers and ministerial students, “conscientious objectors” due to religious or moral beliefs, surviving family members, and some immigrants.
What medical conditions could disqualify one from the draft?
There are numerous conditions that could affect one’s eligibility for enlistment that span the cardiovascular, neurological, pulmonary, dermatological, orthopedic, otolaryngological, gastrointestinal, hematological systems and more. Conditions such as pregnancy, menstrual irregularities, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, hepatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, amputations, cancer, anemia, jaw malocclusion, diabetes, gout, flat feet, arrythmia, asthma and more could disqualify one from the military.
A more comprehensive list can be found here.
Dr. Daliah 
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