When was the last draft in the US? Conscription rules explained | US News

An escalation in the conflict in the Middle East surrounding the Israel-Hamas war, Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine and threats from other countries including China and Iran have heightened fears of a World War III outbreak.

A hypothetical World War III has raised questions around the possibility of a conscription of citizens into military service. The US has not had a draft, enrolling Americans for military service, in more than 50 years.

Yet with ongoing missile strikes in the Middle East and threats from Russia, China and Iran, the threat of World War III looms larger than ever. Some people have wondered which countries in the world would be the safest if war were to start, and a map recently revealed the best places to live in the US to survive a nuclear war.

The US last Friday launched airstrikes in Iraq and Syria in retaliation a drone attack in Jordan by Iran-backed militants that killed three American soldiers. The attack in Jordan had former President Donald Trump warning that ‘we are on the brink of World War III’.

In October, claims swirled that the US military was planning to reinstitute the draft. But Defense Department officials clarified that the armed forces have not recommended conscription to Congress or the president, who have the authority to authorize a draft.

What was the Selective Service Act?

The US has used conscription systems dating back to the Revolutionary War era. It has been used in six major wars: the American Revolution, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

During the Civil War, it was common for wealthy men to hire substitutes to carry out their military service obligations. The Union also offered cash rewards to men who enlisted through a bounty system.

Conscription was reinstituted as the US entered World War I. Then-President Woodrow Wilson signed the Selective Service Act on May 18, 1917, to create the Selective Service System that inducted about 2.8million men and abolished the bounty system. It initially targeted male citizens aged 21 to 30, but was expanded to apply to able-bodied men aged 18 to 45.

When was the last draft in the US?

Through the Selective Service System, 10.1million men were inducted into military service for World War II, 1.5million were inducted for the Korean War and 1.8million were inducted for the Vietnam War.

The last draft conducted in the US was for the Vietnam War, and the last man to be inducted entered the US Army on June 30, 1973.

What age can you be drafted in the US?

Almost all men aged 18 to 25 and living in the US must register for Selective Service, according to the US government. They include American citizens, citizens living outside of the US, legal permanent residents and undocumented immigrants, and refugees and asylum seekers, among others.

‘While there is currently no draft, registration with the Selective Service System is the most publicly visible program during peacetime that ensures operational readiness in a fair and equitable manner,’ states the Selective Service System website.

‘If authorized by the President and Congress, our Agency would rapidly provide personnel to the Department of Defense while at the same time providing an Alternative Service Program for conscientious objectors.’

Who is exempt from conscription in the US?

Men who are registered with the Selective Service will not be inducted automatically into the US military. In the event of a crisis requiring a draft, men would be called based on random lottery numbers and their birth year.

‘Then, they would be examined for mental, physical, and moral fitness by the military before being deferred or exempted from military service or inducted into the Armed Forces,’ states the Selective Service System site.

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