The Health Care Personnel Delivery System
In previous wars, including WWII and the Vietnam war, doctors have been considered strategic assets and had to participate in separate drafts often with higher rates of selection.
The HCPDS was designed in 1986 as a way to more quickly mobilize specialized healthcare personnel in the event that the militarys existing medical capabilities are insufficient and there is a shortage of volunteers. It was designed to be implemented in connection with a national mobilization and requires approval from both Congress and the President to enact.
If implemented, this would allow healthcare professionals between the ages of 20 and 45 to be drafted into the military including women, unless otherwise directed by Congress or the President. In fact, some argue that it is very likely that women would be included in a medical draft given it would be difficult to get enough professionals within certain specialties without them.
Even if you are outside of the age or gender requirements for a general draft through Selective Services, you still may be eligible for recruitment in a medical draft should the need ever arise.
If the HCPDS were enacted, the Selective Service System notes that they would be able to begin mass registration of healthcare workers across over 60 medical and related specialties in as little as 2 weeks. Since draftees would already be trained professionals, the training process would also be fairly quick.
Registration For The Us Draft
The idea of a military draft, also called conscription, has been around in one form or another since ancient times. In its relatively short history, the United States has implemented several different conscription systems to fill its military ranks in both peacetime and wartime. Currently, the United States is not practicing conscription it has an all-volunteer military, meaning active troops serve on their own accord. By offering a range of benefits to enlistees, the military can recruit enough troops to fill its ranks, at least during times of peace. Additionally, the United States maintains a volunteer National Guard and a corps of volunteer reserve troops. These highly trained forces stand ready to assist the military at the president’s command.
But as an insurance policy, the government also maintains the Selective Service System . Its primary purpose is to provide the military with additional manpower if volunteer forces are not sufficient to handle a war or other national emergency. In other words, the agency is in charge of overseeing the draft whenever it is reinstated. Its secondary purpose is to maintain an alternative draft-time service program for conscientious objectors, citizens who are eligible for the draft but will not engage in combat because of their moral beliefs.
The SSS will accept late registration, as long as the man is still under 26. If a man fails to register before his 26th birthday, he may be permanently excluded from some federal benefits.
Be A Conscientious Objector
Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mennonites, the Amish, and Quakers are all considered Peace Churches who are opposed to any kind of military service. They were allowed to serve in other ways, however, but in a civilian capacity. Dishonest conscientious objection would be illegal.
You can still be awesome as a CO, by the way. Clergymen and missionaries were also exempt from the draft, which is how Mitt Romney deferred while spending two years in France as a Mormon missionary.
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List Of Pros Of Military Draft
1. It assures national security. With strengthening the number of service men and women to defend the country when national security is put on the line, the country will be safer. There will be enough soldiers to fight in times of war, be it a civil war or one where many countries are involved. Since having casualties is inevitable, it is best to have other soldiers to replace those who will be injured or killed in the battle and a military draft can make this possible.
2. It is contributory to building character. Military draft is for people 18 years old and above and most of the draftees belong to the youth. This experience will teach them to be respectful of authority, enhance their leadership skills and have self-discipline. These are character traits they can use even after military service and throughout their lives. Moreover, young people will learn how to take on great responsibilities not only to the community but to the nation and the world.
3. It can reduce unemployment in the long run. As drafted soldiers, men and women will be taught skills and given training in engineering, IT and the like since they will be assigned to different departments and given duties from cooking to driving. After they are done serving the military, they can use these newly learned skills and expertise when they go back to the real world and seek employment.
Congress Weighs Requiring Women To Register For The Draft
On September 23, 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the $768 billion 2022 National Defense Authorization Act. The essential annual appropriations bill included an amendment by Pennsylvania Democrat Chrissy Houlahan and Florida Republican Michael Waltz that would require women to register for the draft. On November 17, the Senate voted to take up the bill, meaning it could come to a final vote by the end 2021.
While some proponents of adding women to the draft are seeking gender equality, others cite the benefits of millions more prospective draftees in the case of global warfare. Some opponents of the move are simply opposed to the draft in generalregardless of gender. Other opponents believe women need to be protected from the potential dangers of military service. Psychologists call this benevolent sexismthe idea that women need to be protected by menand consider it a factor adding to problem of gender bias. The ACLU has criticized the sexism of a male-only draft, calling the current system, one of the last examples of overt sex discrimination written into our federal law.
A by the National Commission on Military, National and Public Service recommended registering women for the draft, stating, The next time America must turn to a draft, it will need to include everyone who is capable and qualified. It would be harmful to the Nations security to leave out the skills and talents of half of the U.S. population.
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Penalties For Failure To Register For The Draft
Men who do not register could be prosecuted and, if convicted, fined up to $250,000 and/or serve up to five years in prison. In addition, men who fail to register with Selective Service before turning age 26, even if not prosecuted, will become ineligible for:
- Student Financial Aid – including Pell Grants, College Work Study, Guaranteed Student/Plus Loans, and National Direct Student Loans.
- U.S. Citizenship – if the man first arrived in the U.S. before his 26th birthday.
- Federal Job Training – The Job Training Partnership Act offers programs that can train young men for jobs in auto mechanics and other skills. This program is only open to those men who register with Selective Service.
- Federal Jobs – men born after December 31, 1959, must be registered to be eligible for jobs in the Executive Branch of the Federal government and the U.S. Postal Service.
In addition, several states have added additional penalties for those who fail to register.
You may have read or been told that there is no need to register because so few people are prosecuted for failing to register. The goal of the Selective Service System is registration, not prosecution. Even though those who fail to register may not be prosecuted they will be denied student financial assistance, federal job training, and most federal employment unless they can provide convincing evidence to the agency providing the benefit they are seeking, that their failure to register was not knowing and willful.
How The Us Draft Works
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the United States military as of March 2021 maintains a force of over 1.3 million active-duty personnel across the Army, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and Navy. In times of relative peace, this is sufficient to protect U.S. interests at home and abroad.
But when the United States engages in a larger scale operation, the military may need to call up reserve forces. In a major conflict, the United States may even institute the draft, drawing soldiers from the general civilian population.
In this article, we’ll find out what would happen if the president were to reinstate the draft today. We’ll also see what the Selective Service System does in times of peace to prepare for a draft in the future.
Contents
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What Is The Maximum Age To Be Drafted Into The Us Military
All men who are permanent residents in the US or are US citizens are required to register with the selective service when they are18 to 26 years old.
Those registered will be drafted, should the US enter a state of national emergency that prompts The White House and Congress to reinstate the draft.
If a draft were to occur, men would be liable to be conscripted into the US military from 20 years old until the age of 25.
However, the US military has been voluntary only since 1973 and President Biden says he does not have any intention of reimplementing it.
Who Is Exempt From Being Drafted Into The Military
The U.S. ended the draft in 1973 and converted to all-volunteer military forces. However, federal law requires young men between the ages of 18 and 25 to register with the Selective Service. The Military Selective Service Act governs the independent agency’s operations and provides categories of men exempted from service, registration or both.
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Military Draft Explained: 7 Things You Need To Know
Nearly all men between the ages of 18 and 25 living in the United States are mandated by law to register for the military draft.
Registration for the draft is conducted and managed by the Selective Service System.
Military draft registration is considered a civic obligation on the part of male individuals living in America, but the same does not apply to women in the U.S.
Here are 7 things you need to know about the military draft.
In the United States, the military draft requires mandatory enrollment in the Selective Service for certain individual citizens.
The draft, also known as conscription, refers to this potential mandatory military service requirement if the U.S. government finds the draft necessary to invoke.
Registering for the draft is an obligation the U.S. government requires of male citizens within a specific age range.
The purpose of the draft is so that the country would have enough personnel to support the military if called upon for defense or in response to a national emergency.
The American Selective Service System is the agency that oversees draft registration.
The Selective Service is also responsible for implementing and running a draft if/when it is enacted by Congress and the President of the United States.
The U.S. military has been an all-volunteer force, with no active draft, since 1973.
This means that each branch of the Armed Forces is presently made up of individuals who choose to serve of their own volition.
How Do You Register
The easiest and fastest way to register with Selective Service is to register online.
You can also register by mail using a Selective Service “mail-back” registration form available at any U.S. Post Office. A man can fill it out, sign , affix postage, and mail it to Selective Service, without the involvement of the postal clerk. Men living overseas may register at any U.S. Embassy or consular office.
Many high school students can register at school. More than half the high schools in the United States have a staff member or teacher appointed as a Selective Service Registrar. These individuals help register male high school students.
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Everything You Need To Know About The Military Draft
The Selective Service System, otherwise known as the military draft or conscription, requires almost all male U.S. citizens and immigrants, ages 18 through 25, to register with the government.
You may have seen the question, “Have you registered for the selective service” on applications for jobs, driver’s licenses, student aid and more.
But could you actually get called up into the military? Here’s everything you need to know about the draft.
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How The Draft System Works
If a draft is authorized by Congress and the U.S. President, the Selective Service System begins to call registered men, ages 18-25, for military duty.
The sequence for call to duty is generally determined by birth year and random lottery numbers.
The men who are called for military service will be evaluated for mental, physical, and moral fitness.
Based on this examination, they may be inducted into the Armed Forces, deferred, or exempted from military service for medical or psychological reasons.
Projections are that if the U.S. enacted a draft, those who are registered and age 20 would be the first group to be called.
Once a registered individual turns 26 years old, he is over the liability age for the draft.
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Medical Draft In Standby Mode
The Health Care Personnel Delivery System is a standby plan developed for the Selective Service System at the request of Congress. If needed it would be used to draft health care personnel in a crisis. It is designed to be implemented in connection with a national mobilization in an emergency, and then only if Congress and the President approve the plan and pass and sign legislation to enact it. No portion of the plan is designed for implementation in peacetime. If implemented, HCPDS would:
- Provide a fair and equitable draft of doctors, nurses, medical technicians and those with certain other health care skills if, in some future emergency, the militaryâs existing medical capability proved insufficient and there is a shortage of volunteers.
- Include women, unless directed otherwise by Congress and the President.
How Would The Draft Work If Implemented
If it is ever needed and implemented, a present-day draft would have similarities to that of the Vietnam War. Here’s how it would work.
The Selective Service System says it most likely would hold a draft lottery based on dates of birth. The number 1 would correspond to Jan. 1, 15 to Jan. 15, etc. Officials would draw numbers similar to drawing numbers for a lottery. If your birthdate is the first one drawn, you are the first to be drafted.
Normally, officials have a cutoff number based on the needs of the military. For example, during the 1969 draft lottery, men born between Jan. 1, 1944, and Dec, 31, 1950, were eligible to be drafted for the following year, 1970. Of the 366 possible birthdays in those years , 195 birth dates were called for possible induction. That meant more than half the men born during those years were subject to being drafted. If your birthday wasn’t one of the first 195 drawn, you were lucky — you didn’t have to go.
The second draft lottery, on July 1, 1970, was for men born in 1951. For that year 125 out of 365 possible birthdays were conscripted. The third Vietnam draft lottery was on Aug. 5, 1971, for men born in 1952 in that year, 95 birthdays were called up for compulsory service.
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History Of The Draft In The Us
Conscription, more commonly known as the draft, is the mandatory enrollment of individuals into the armed service.
There have been several instances throughout American history where drafts have been used including the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and more recently, the Vietnam War. The last draft in the US occurred in 1973 and the military has been voluntary enlistment ever since. That being said, the US government has continued to collect information on civilians who are eligible to serve should the need arise.
Today, every male between the ages of 18 and 25 is required to register for the Selective Service System. This creates a large database of individuals who can be called upon to serve in the event of a national emergency.
If you are a male living in the United States, you were probably already aware of this as you likely registered for Selective Services at the age of 18.
What many people arent aware of, however, is that the US has standby plans developed by the Selective Service System to draft doctors, nurses, and other medical technicians into the military in the event of a national crisis. It is called the Health Care Personnel Delivery System, or HCPDS for short.
Us Military Draft 202: Is There One Age And Registration Process
The US military has not issued a draft since 1973, but in the event of a war or national emergency, whats the registration process?
People have started wondering after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ordered citizens to be drafted into the countrys military.
Heres everything you need to know about the process in the US.
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The Selective Service Runs The Draft: What You Need To Know About It
The U.S. Selective Service System is a name most of us know, especially the young men of the country. Theyre known as the organization thats responsible for the U.S. military draft. Opinions on the draft are pretty much everywhere, and theres talk of changing it, whether that be banning it altogether or making women register, too. Existing debate aside, the Selective Service has an important mission and vision you should probably read up on if you havent already.
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