Temps Passés*: The final gasp of the draft
The last group draftees dodged a bullet
Today in 1972 was the day the final group of American draftees was to be inducted, but President Truman died and the Selective Service offices were closed for a day of mourning. The draft did not resume in 1973, so the 300 men who were on the edge of becoming soldiers were never drafted.
Two years later, the requirement that eighteen-year-olds register was dropped, only to be reinstated in 1980 in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Male citizens are now required to register within 30 days of their 18th birthday, as are some non-citizens, including asylum seekers and undocumented residents.
Most of the legislative debate over the draft has dealt with the issue of conscripting women as well as men, but that is basically a dead issue because the Pentagon has lifted virtually all restrictions on women. With a candidate for defense secretary who is loudly opposed to women in combat, that could be in play.
Links:
About the Selective Service System
*Temps Passés = Past Times = This day in history, an occasional compendium of important events of the past, focusing on the United States and France, courtesy of Part-Time Parisian.
I invite you to consider my latest novel, The Final Heist.
It's now 2019, midway through the phony war between Russia’s first invasion of Ukraine and its attempt to absorb it entirely. Notre Dame Cathedral has just burned, leaving all Paris on edge and in mourning. With the blessing of the Kremlin, a former KGB agent with deep government connections plans to take advantage of the uncertainty and use a king’s ransom in old Nazi gold bullion for a private war to extend Russia's influence westward from Ukraine to the very border of Germany, a conquest that would definitely lead to a major European war. The threat of World War III is very real.
I agree. A dose of national service would do much vor the country.
The draft needs to be reinstated.
Too many needy imbeciles are making life unbearable for all the Common Sense Holders of the country
They all need to serve at least ONE YEAR to understand what REAL LIFE is all about. No selfishness, no I AM. No crying, snivelling, tantrums. Just realizing that life is hard without parents giving in to every "I want"!
It would make real men and women, instead of stupid needy adolescents never growing up.
Teaching the kids to handle hikes, manoeuvres carrying weight. Teaching responsibilities in groups. Etc. It was the best time for many. And the worst for so many. But it was a lesson that lasted a lifetime. Hoping this administration will shy from creating and growing conflicts in the world. Through great politics and show of strength