A question on drafts?

Question

I was curious of something. I just turned 18, and got the wonderful letter from the Selective Services.

Now there has been some talk of a draft, as there is always, and I was wondering what makes a person become unavailable as a draftee? Besides mental handicaps, and physical disabilities?

I am a student in college, and someone mentioned that would be a reason..but is this true?

desertviking_00

I was going by what the news has said. There has been talk from the Administration of a draft, but they are unsure. I know enough history to know its repeating itself again. All the more reason I do not want it to happen.

Answer 1

Why are you worried? There is no draft! We have had an all-volunteer force since 1973. The Cold War is over. We don't face massed troops of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact at the Floda Gap in Southern Germany or coming across the Pomeranian Plain in Northern Germany.
Now, go and finish your college education. I pray you do come away with a better appreciation for study habits, especially history.

Answer 2

kalistburg,

TJ, vladoviking and brad among others, had the gist.

Probably a “C” average would do. Congress would almost certainly have various exceptions to immediate draft. I liked the bit about Cheney the coward; that was well said.

You could always get your politically connected family get you a cushy assignment to your state's Air National Guard, jumping ahead of about 1500 individuals ahead of you on the list, make a few meetings then go AWOL for a year and a half, but I think somebody already thought of that.

Normally, of course, after you are AWOL for over 30 days you are officially a deserter. This can be ignored if you have a politically connected family, say a Senator or even a President,

You might consider ROTC; that is a good program; you will probably never get to full Colonel but some do and a very few make the star. Usually you need one of the academies to make above field grade.

The military can be and is a very good profession although the current administration has made the US Military a very dangerous place in which to be abused by girly-boy, no nothings.

Uncle Sam’s military is exceptional and will survive even this administration…..barely!

Good luck, don't worry and study like Hell. If you make the military, do an exceptional job, see the world and learn what it takes to be a real man. It will expend your horizsons.

Jim D

Answer 3

With all due respect to the first poster, don't ask a recruiter. Recruiters are notorious for not providing reliable informaiton on what to expect.

If there is a draft, probably student deferments would still exist initially, but eventually (as the body count rises, and the cannon fodder drops) those would be by the wayside too.

Some other traditional deferments would be medical, if you could prove a hardship (say, a child and disabled wife and you were the sole provider), or you were the sole child of your parents, but all these things can disappear given enough need.

It's a sucky time to be 18; I wouldn't want to be of draftable age, given this administration. For best results, get politically active and see if you can keep these idiots from getting us into another war.

Answer 4

Tell them you are a homosexual drug addict. You don't have to be, just convince the draft board. During the last draft, school deferrments were common. While I, and brother bob, enlisted in the army, my brother jeff fled to england for two years. When he finally returned, he was arrested by military police and jailed. He spent 30 days in jail, then released with a bad conduct discharge. So that wasn't so bad either. In Wisconsin, and I think, nation wide, when you sign up for a drivers license, you also register for the draft. So, you're allready on the list.

Answer 5

There isn't going to be a draft, but if there is, U r no excempted for being a studens, altough u'll be amongst the last set of people. So u have a good chance of not being called because u r in school

Answer 6

If there is a draft, there will be no college deferment. If your number comes up, you will be able to finish out the semester and then enter the army. It happened to my roommate in college. Unfortunately, he never made it back. My number was about 10 away from being drafted that year. Interesting how luck can change your life.

However, I do believe their should be very limited deferments. If everyones children were suddenly at risk of being drafted, their would be a public outcry and we would be out of Iraq rapidly.

Answer 7

I'd guess if they kept at it as they did up until they ended the active draft (1973?)you would be deferred as long as you kept record of attending higher education.So if you claimed you were in colledge but couldn't show proof you would be drafted.
Brad V is probably right about maintaining a minimum grade level too I just cant remember. wasnt much to worry I enlisted

Answer 8

I do not know if it is true or not, but I have read that if the draft were to be instituted many deferments, the student deferment among them, will be eliminated. Contact a recruiter and ask.

Answer 9

Don,t worry about it. It would be political suicide for any party to reinstate the draft at this time. But if war in the middle east intensifies things could change quickly.

Answer 10

The draft sucks,plain and simple. You would be sent off to some far off the map place to kill people you don't have anything against.Possibly killed yourself for a bucket of oil.