The military draft has been controversial since the Vietnam War, when thousands of young men were forced into service, sparking widespread protests as the war dragged on. Even former President Trump received five draft deferments. Failure to register with the Selective Service System can lead to several lifelong penalties, including ineligibility for student loans or federal government jobs.
Today’s modern military successfully operates with an all-volunteer force, numbering around 1.2 million active-duty personnel. However, the issue of draft registration remains a topic of debate.
One activist group opposed to mandatory military registration declared: “Congress should end draft registration for all, not try to expand it to both women and men.” They argued that more women than men would resist if the government tried to force them to register.
A commission recommended that the U.S. maintain the option of draft registration as a “low-cost insurance policy against a looming national security threat.”
The question of whether to include women in potential draft registration has become more pressing in recent years, following the Pentagon’s 2015 announcement that it would open all combat positions to women. Since then, over 2,000 women have served in Army combat positions, and today, more than 224,000 women serve in the military.
