Remember the draft?
Of course you don’t.
Well here we go again.
That is when males turn 18 they register for military if needed (that is the short answer)
The actual draft has not been needed for many years but that does not stop idiots in Congress to propose an end run….
A bill has been proposed….
On Wednesday, during markup of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025, the U.S. House Armed Services Committee approved an amendment to the NDAA that would automatically register all draft-aged male U.S. residents with the Selective Service System for a possible military draft, based on information from other Federal databases.
This system of automatic draft registration would replace the system in effect since 1980 in which young men can decide for themselves whether or not to sign up for the draft – and so many choose not to register that the Selective Service database would be useless for an actual draft.
The automatic draft registration proposal was instigated by the Selective Service System as part of its annual budget request to Congress, introduced in the HASC by Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), “wholeheartedly” endorsed by HASC Chair Mike Rogers (R-AL), and approved by voice vote of the full committee without audible opposition.
Rep. Houlahan had been one of the leading proponents of proposals in previous years to expand draft registration to women as well as men. Her latest proposal for automatic registration of men only for a military draft indicates that she is more deeply committed to militarization than to any purported feminism.
The provisions for automatic draft registration are now included in the version of the NDAA that will go to the House floor. The NDAA is a “must-pass” bill, so these provisions are likely to remain in the version of the NDAA adopted later this year by the full House unless some House member introduces, and the full House agrees to vote on and approves, a floor amendment to remove them. It remains to be seen whether a similar provision will be included in the Senate version of the NDAA, although we fear that this may be likely.
US House Committee Proposes ‘Automatic’ Sign-Up for Military Draft
Is this a good idea?
I have mixed emotions about this….on the one hand it would be good for the society if more Americans had a sense of unity that the military could instill….but on the other hand this would just give the warmongers in DC a larger pool of bodies to be used to further whatever adventure they deem necessary.
Any thoughts on your part?
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
During the panic about Russian progress in the war in Ukraine, our Defence Minister suggested we reintroduce Conscription during 2024. It had such a negative impact that the idea was scrapped within a few days. Now there is an election here on the 4th of July, I doubt it will be mentioned again.
Best wishes, Pete.
This is nothing carved in stone just5 a couple of yahoos trying to get in the public eye….I do not think it will even see a day on the floor of the Senate. chuq
Depends on one’s perspective. I lost my student deferment after a year of college when calling for a personal hiatus for me because I was tired of school. I ended up #53 for the 1971 draft cycle… a sure thing for selection in the Army by March of that year. My core of buddies ended up well over 100 and escaped being called. I opted to enlist in USAF and just pure chance of fate I escaped the Southeast Asia theater of operations altogether when I fully anticipated I was going somewhere into all that. That is where my mixed feelings reside; perhaps a welcomed disappoint… but still a disappointment. Obviously my destiny went somewhere else.
Fast forward to now. Military preparedness does require a means to assure some level of manpower when needed. Not all conflicts will be “patriotic crusades” of willing enlistees to be sure. WW2 was likely the last. I’m in favor of some level of two year service to the nation in some public arena for all (doesn’t need to be military), with educational benefits attached in some form. That doesn’t mean such service need be served away from home in all cases in government depending on the service location.
Nonetheless, drafts have never been popular with the public, not even with the military. Educational deferments alone typically force the selection from the lesser educated and lower economic demographic. Besides, modern warfare is primarily fought by push buttons, computers, and remote pilots.. and soon robotics. There’s no real need for the manpower for massed infantry assaults that use up lives. Think of it this way, would we in America be fighting a land war against an attacking enemy in the same way as the Ukrainians? I think not given our weaponry.
I joined the Army in 1967 and went to SE Asia….have no idea what my number had been. I agree that 2 year service to American in some fashion. Like I said I have mixed feelings about the draft…..the problem is electronic things do not hold territory there will always be a need for grunts. Thanx for the comment chuq
That was me, chuq. Seems WordPress doesn’t like the county wifi connection on my laptop and it keeps asking me to sign in each time. Grr.. You are right.. maybe too much electronic things.
So you be ‘someone’? Now I will know……chuq
I have a lot of feelings about this subject: (1) I believe we ought to go back to the days when the United States levied a military service obligation on all men of draft age …so many years of active duty followed by so many years of duty in some kind of reserve unit…I was subject to that act and I did my service requirements and in order to refresh memories, here is what I remember about it:
The Universal Military Training and Service Act (UMTSA) was a United States federal law that required male citizens and residents between the ages of 18 and 26 to register for the draft and undergo military training. The act was enacted in 1948 and was a significant change from the previous Selective Service Act of 1940.
Key Provisions:
History:
The UMTSA was enacted in response to the need for a more effective and efficient military draft system. The previous Selective Service Act of 1940 had been criticized for its inefficiencies and lack of consistency. The UMTSA was designed to address these issues and to provide a more comprehensive and equitable system for drafting and training military personnel.
Impact:
The UMTSA had a significant impact on American society and culture. It helped to establish the United States as a major military power and played a key role in the country’s response to the Cold War. The act also had a profound impact on American society, as it required millions of young men to serve in the military and to undergo military training.
Repeal:
The UMTSA was repealed in 1973, as part of the Vietnam War-era military reform efforts. The All-Volunteer Armed Forces Act, which was signed into law in 1973, replaced the draft with an all-volunteer military force.
While we are on this subject, I also believe that all candidates for president of the United States who will become commander in chief of all the military branches should be obligated by law to have served in the U.S. Military in some capacity or the other — and this should be a part of their qualifications to run for the office of president.
I think some sort of service, mandatory, would help this country come together and heal most riffs. I grand Idea about the qualifications for president. chuq
But these are common sense ideas and common sense does not rule the paradigm these days.
You are right….money rules! chuq
I would be for a draft that assure those unwilling to kill be given alternative national service, and the same for people with bone spurs or those attending college.
I had a boss who got his engineering degree as a part of his commitment to serve in the US Air Force for a given number of years. Perhaps educational deferments with obligatory (contractual) service in a branch of the military or some national service – VA, for example – would be less onerous than forcing teenagers to kill in foreign wars or give up their citizenship to migrant to friendlier countries.
The current system created a military caste, whereas the old draft put PhD’s alongside blue color workers and all in between, though the college boys were few and far between. This blend of all demographics was more democratic that way, too.
I believe we all are obligated as citizens to participate in elections, service to others, and work that builds the community or state or nation. Too many now have little idea of their responsibilities and obligations as citizens or understand how our government is organized through the Constitution. Service brings discipline and teamwork to the fore, and those who feel entitled quickly get cut off at the knees.
Some sort of ‘Volunteers In Service To America” sort of thing….mandatory 2 years……chuq
Yes, exactly, with the option to re-enlist for longer if a person discovers something that suits their interests. Idealism can be fired up this way.
I think “Starship Troopers” had the right idea… Service Means Citizenship. 🙂
I like the idea…..but they were at war with bugs….I hate bugs. chuq
Careful, chuq.. we got hate crimes now.
I live in Mississippi where bugs are a way of life…..the mosquito is the state bird….LOL chuq
Ha! 🙂