Conscription
Universal Service Act (Introduced in House)
Center on Conscience and War
To extend and defend the rights of Conscientious Objectors to War and violence.
Operation Truth
We areİthe voice of the troops, aİnon-partisan group created to help them share stories of life on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan. We are also working to help veterans get the support they need.
Alliance For Security
For the first time in a generation,
we're facing the real possibility of a draft.
Get educated before your number is up.
Student Peace Action Network
is a grassroots peace and justice organization working from campuses across the United States. We organize for an end to physical, social, and economic violence caused by militarism at home and abroad. We campaign for nuclear abolition, disarmament, and an end to weapons trafficking. We support a foreign policy based on human rights and international cooperation, and a domestic agenda that supports human and environmental concerns, not Pentagon excess. War is not inevitable. We push for practical alternatives.
Becoming a Conscientious Objector
Making the decision to be a conscientious objector is hardly an easy one. This site provides a step-by-step process for CO's to get out of the military.
The Selective Service System
Pending Draft Legislation Targeted for Spring 2005
The Draft may Start as early as June 2005
There is pending legislation in the House and
Senate (twin bills: S 89 and HR 163) which
will time the program's initiation so the draft
can begin at early as Spring 2005 -- just after
the 2004 presidential election.
SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
Here is a brief overview of what would occur if the United States returned to a draft:
1. CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT AUTHORIZE A DRAFT
A crisis occurs which requires more troops than the volunteer military can supply. Congress passes and the President signs legislation which starts a draft.
2. THE LOTTERY
A lottery based on birthdays determines the order in which registered men are called up by Selective Service. The first to be called, in a sequence determined by the lottery, will be men whose 20th birthday falls during that year, followed, if needed, by those aged 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25. 18-year-olds and those turning 19 would probably not be drafted.
3. ALL PARTS OF SELECTIVE SERVICE ARE ACTIVATED
The Agency activates and orders its State Directors and Reserve Forces Officers to report for duty.
4. PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND MORAL EVALUATION OF REGISTRANTS
Registrants with low lottery numbers are ordered to report for a physical, mental, and moral evaluation at a Military Entrance Processing Station to determine whether they are fit for military service. Once he is notified of the results of the evaluation, a registrant will be given 10 days to file a claim for exemption, postponement, or deferment.
5. LOCAL AND APPEAL BOARDS ACTIVATED AND INDUCTION NOTICES SENT
Local and Appeal Boards will process registrant claims. Those who pass the military evaluation will receive induction orders. An inductee will have 10 days to report to a local Military Entrance Processing Station for induction.
6. FIRST DRAFTEES ARE INDUCTED
According to current plans, Selective Service must deliver the first inductees to the military within 193 days from theonset of a crisis.
WHO MUST REGISTER
Almost all male U.S. citizens, and male aliens living in the U.S., who are 18 through 25, are required to register with Selective Service. It's important to know that even though he is registered, a man will not automatically be inducted into the military. In a crisis requiring a draft, men would be called in sequence determined by random lottery number and year of birth. Then, they would be examined for mental, physical and moral fitness by the military before being deferred or exempted from military service or inducted into the Armed Forces.
NON-CITIZENS
Some non-citizens are required to register. Others are not. Noncitizens who are not required to register with Selective Service include men who are in the U.S. on student or visitor visas, and men who are part of a diplomatic or trade mission and their families. Almost all other male noncitizens are required to register, including illegal aliens, legal permanent residents, and refugees. The general rule is that if a male noncitizen takes up residency in the U.S. before his 26th birthday, he must register with Selective Service. For a more detailed list of which non-citizens must register, see Who Must Register - Chart .
DUAL NATIONALS
Dual nationals of the U.S. and another country are required to register, regardless of where they live, because they are U.S. nationals.
HOSPITALIZED OR INCARCERATED MEN
Young men in hospitals, mental institutions or prisons do not have to register while they are committed. However, they must register within 30 days after being released if they have not yet reached their 26th birthday.
DISABLED MEN
Disabled men who live at home must register with Selective Service if they can reasonably leave their homes and move about independently. A friend or relative may help a disabled man fill out the registration form if he can't do it himself.
Men with disabilities that would disqualify them from military service still must register with Selective Service. Selective Service does not presently have authority to classify men, so even men with obvious handicaps must register now, and if needed, classifications would be determined later.
FULL-TIME MILITARY EXEMPTED FROM REQUIREMENT
Young men serving in the military on full-time active duty do not have to register. Those attending the service academies do not have to register. If a young man leaves the military before turning 26, he must register.
NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVES
Members of the Reserve and National Guard not on full-time active duty must register.
CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS
Men who would be classified as Conscientious Objectors if they were drafted must also register with Selective Service. If a draft begins and they are called, they would have the opportunity to file a claim for exemption from military service based upon their religious or moral objection to war.
ALIENS AND DUAL NATIONALS
U.S. non-citizens and dual nationals are required by law to register with the Selective Service System.* Most are also liable for induction into the U.S. Armed Forces if there is a draft. They would also be eligible for any deferments, postponements, and exemptions available to all other registrants.
However, some aliens and dual nationals would be exempt from induction into the military if there is a draft, depending on their country of origin and other factors. Some of these exemptions are shown below:
An alien who has lived in the U.S. for less than one year is exempt from induction.
Some countries have agreements with the U.S. which exempt a dual national who is a citizen of both that country and the U.S. from military service in the U.S. Armed Forces. However, an alien who requests and is exempted under such an agreement can never become a U.S. citizen, and may have trouble reentering the U.S. if he leaves.
A dual national whose other country of nationality has an agreement with the U.S. which specifically provides for an exemption is exempt from induction.
An alien who served at least a year in the military of a country with which the U.S. is involved in mutual defense activities will be exempt from military service if he is a national of a country that grants reciprocal privileges to citizens of the U.S.
During a draft, any claims for exemptions based on any of the above categories would be granted or denied by a man's Local Board.
Military examiners make the final decision about who will be accepted into the military.
CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION AND ALTERNATIVE SERVICE
A conscientious objector is one who is opposed to serving in the armed forces and/or bearing arms on the grounds of moral or religious principles.
HOW TO APPLY
In general, once a man gets a notice that he has been found qualified for military service, he has the opportunity to make a claim for classification as a conscientious objector (CO). A registrant making a claim for Conscientious Objection is required to appear before his local board to explain his beliefs.
He may provide written documentation or include personal appearances by people he knows who can attest to his claims. His written statement might explain:
how he arrived at his beliefs; and
the influence his beliefs have had on how he lives his life.
The local board will decide whether to grant or deny a CO classification based on the evidence a registrant has presented.
A man may appeal a Local Board's decision to a Selective Service District Appeal Board. If the Appeal Board also denies his claim, but the vote is not unanimous, he may further appeal the decision to the National Appeal Board. See also Classifications.
WHO QUALIFIES?
Beliefs which qualify a registrant for CO status may be religious in nature, but don't have to be. Beliefs may be moral or ethical; however, a man's reasons for not wanting to participate in a war must not be based on politics, expediency, or self-interest. In general, the man's lifestyle prior to making his claim must reflect his current claims.
SERVICE AS A CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR
Two types of service are available to conscientious objectors, and the type assigned is determined by the individual's specific beliefs. The person who is opposed to any form of military service will be assigned to Alternative Service - described below. The person whose beliefs allow him to serve in the military but in a noncombatant capacity will serve
in the Armed Forces but will not be assigned training or duties that include using weapons.
ALTERNATIVE SERVICE
Conscientious Objectors opposed to serving in the military will be placed in the Selective Service Alternative Service Program. This program attempts to match COs with local employers. Many types of jobs are available, however the job must be deemed to make a meaningful contribution to the maintenance of the national health, safety, and interest.
Examples of Alternative Service are jobs in:
conservation
caring for the very young or very old
education
health care
Length of service in the program will equal the amount of time a man would have served in the military, usually 24 months.
Classifications
Men are not classified now.
Classification is the process of determining who is available for military service and who is deferred or exempted. Classifications are based on each individual registrant's circumstances and beliefs. A classification program would go into effect when Congress and the President decide to resume a draft. Then, men who are qualified for induction would have the opportunity to file a claim for exemptions, deferments, and postponements from military service.
Here is a list of some, though not all, classifications and what they mean:
1-A - available immediately for military service.
1-O Conscientious Objector- conscientiously opposed to both types (combatant and non-combatant) of military
training and service - fulfills his service obligation as a civilian alternative service worker.
1-A-O Conscientious Objector - conscientiously opposed to training and military service requiring the use of
arms - fulfills his service obligation in a noncombatant position within the military.
2-D Ministerial Students - deferred from military service.
3-A Hardship Deferment - deferred from military service because service would cause hardship upon his family.
4-C Alien or Dual National - sometimes exempt from military service.
4-D Ministers of Religion - exempted from military service.
Student Postponements - a college student may have his induction postponed until he finishes the current semester or, if a senior, the end of the academic year. A high school student may have his induction postponed until he graduates or until he reaches age
20.
Appealing a Classification - A man may appeal his classification to a Selective Service Appeal Board.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE SELECTIVE SERVICE TODAY AND DURING VIETNAM
The Agency has changed dramatically since the 1970s. A series of reforms during the latter part of the Vietnam conflict changed the way the draft operated. If a draft were held today it would be the most equitable draft in history:
If a draft were held today there would be fewer reasons to excuse a man from service.
Before Congress reformed the draft in 1971, a man could qualify for a student deferment if he could show he was a full-time student making satisfactory progress in virtually any field of study. He could continue to go to school and be deferred from service until he was too old to be drafted. Under the new draft law, a college student could have his induction postponed only until the end of the current semester. A senior could be postponed until the end of the full academic year.
If a draft were held today, local boards would better represent the communities they serve.
The changes in the new draft law made in 1971 included the provision that membership on the boards was required to be as representative as possible of the racial and ethnic background of the area served by the board.
Before 1971, state and local boards used a "quota system" under which they assigned a certain number of men to the draft. Because the boards determined who would be drafted, there were instances when personal relationships and favoritism played a part in deciding who would be drafted. Today, the Uniform National Call ensures that men will be treated the same, no matter which board they are assigned to.
A draft held today would use a lottery to determine the order of call.
Before the lottery was implemented in the latter part of the Vietnam conflict, there was no system in place to determine order of call besides the fact that men between the ages of 18 and 26 were vulnerable to being drafted. This lack of a system resulted in uncertainty for the potential draftees during the entire time they were within the draft-eligible age group. All throughout a young man¼s early 20¼s he did not know if he would be drafted. A draft held today would use a lottery system under which a man would spend only one year in first priority for the draftãeither the calendar year he turned 20 or the year his deferment ended, whichever came first. If he was not drafted in his first priority year, he dropped into second priority. In this way he would be spared the uncertainty of waiting until his 26th birthday to be certain he would not be drafted.
If a draft were held today, a registrant would be guaranteed a personal appearance before his board if he wanted to appeal his classification.
Before 1971, a draftee was not guaranteed this right, and so some decisions about whether a man would be drafted were made based on paperwork. Today, if a man wanted to appeal to his Local Board for an exemption or deferment, he could speak to them directly.
HOW WOULD SELECTIVE SERVICE CONDUCT A RETURN TO CONSCRIPTION?
When the all-volunteer force was established, it was not intended to stand alone in time of national emergency. If, by law, it is determined that a return to the draft is required, the Selective Service System would be responsible for supplying manpower through the induction process to fill vacancies that could not be filled through voluntary enlistments.
In the event of a return to conscription, the Selective Service System would expand significantly. Its Reserve Forces Officers would be called to active duty to establish State Headquarters and Area Offices at predetermined locations, and at the same time approximately 2,000 Local and Appeal Boards would be activated throughout the nation, staffed
by 11,000 volunteers. Computer links between all Agency locations would be activated. Current planning is based on the Department of Defense requirement which requires the first inductees about six months after notification. Selective Service is also capable of providing inductees with special skills, such as health care personnel, after authorizing legislation is passed by Congress and a draft is ordered by the President.
An early step in the resumption of the inductions process would be to hold a lottery, sequencing dates of birth by random drawing, to determine the order in which registrants of prime draft age would be called for processing for induction. For a conventional draft of "untrained" manpower, a man is in the first priority group for a possible draft during the calendar year of his 20th birthday. Beginning January 1 of the year he turns 21 he would drop into the second priority category, and men born the year after he was born would move into the first priority group. Each succeeding year, a draft eligible man drops into the next lower priority group until he has reached his 26th birthday, at which time he is over the age of liability for the draft.
Registrants facing possible induction would first be ordered to report for examination to establish their acceptability for military service. Those found acceptable will have the opportunity to file a claim for postponement, deferment, or exemption from military service prior to receiving an induction order. The Agency would also administer an Alternative Service Program for men classified as conscientious objectors who are required to perform such service in lieu of serving in the military.
Current plans are frequently tested, evaluated, and revised as necessary. If implemented, they will guide the Selective Service System in making a smooth transition from current reduced readiness levels to full conscription within six months.
POSTPONEMENTS, DEFERMENTS, EXEMPTIONS
A high school student may have his induction postponed until he graduates or reaches age 20, whichever occurs first. College students may be postponed until the end of the semester. If they are in their last academic year, they may be postponed until the end of that academic year.
A registrant automatically gets his induction delayed if he files a claim for reclassification. He is also entitled to file for a postponement if he is a student or if he has an emergency beyond his control, such as a serious illness or death in his immediate family.
Under emergency mobilization procedures, all registrants are considered to be classified 1-A "available for service" unless they are given a different status by Selective Service. If a registrant believes that for some reason he cannot or should not report for examination and induction as directed, he may request a postponement or reclassification by filing a claim and sending it to the Selective Service office in his area. Receipt of such a claim delays the registrant¼s induction until his claim has been fully processed and adjudicated.
A registrant can file a claim only after receipt of an order to report for induction and before the day he is scheduled to report. Only in the case of an extreme emergency, under circumstances beyond his control, would a registrant be allowed to file a claim on the day he is scheduled to report for induction.
It will not be necessary for the registrant to submit supporting evidence of his claim at the time he files the request form. He will be contacted and given instructions on what information is needed, where to send it, and when it should be sent.
The following classification categories would be available under present operating procedures:
- Conscientious objectors perform service to the nation in a manner consistent with their moral, ethical or religious opposition to participation in war in any form. Depending upon the nature of his beliefs, a conscientious objector serves either in a noncombatant capacity in the armed forces or in a civilian job contributing to the national interest.
- Surviving sons or brothers in a family where the parent or sibling died as a result of U.S. military service, or is in a captured or missing in action status, are exempt from service in peacetime.
- Hardship deferments are available for men whose induction would result in hardship to persons who depend upon them for support.
- Members of Reserve components (including the National Guard and advanced level ROTC cadets who have already signed a Reserve contract) are eligible for a separate classification and perform their military service in the National Guard or the Reserves.
- Ministers are exempted from service.
- Ministerial students are deferred from service until they complete their studies.
- Certain elected officials are exempt from service as long as they continue to hold office.
- Veterans generally are exempt from service in peacetime.
Aliens and dual nationals in some cases may be exempt from U.S. military service depending upon their place of residence and country of citizenship.
quoted from:Selective Service System
see also:
Central Committee For Conscientious Objectors
What We Can DO!
Oiling Up The Draft Machine?
The idea of the draft is being looked at.
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Give Peace a Chance