U.S Draft | Teen Ink

U.S Draft

April 1, 2022
By Ori SILVER, Wyckoff, New Jersey
Ori SILVER, Wyckoff, New Jersey
8 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Favorite Quote:
"It's not about what the intention was, it matters what the intention led to." Ori Young


The draft of the United States of America is the most feared draft that America had the possibility to use during war. The draft works similar to drawing numbers for a lottery, except the difference is immense. One you are winning millions or losing a couple dollars and another you could theoretically lose your life. If you get chosen, you might have to go into battle which can seriously scar a man or woman. The draft draws people by birthdate. If your birthday is the first one drawn, you are the first to be drafted. The officials that are choosing have a cutoff number based on the needs of the military. An example of that is in the 1969 draft lottery. This picked men born between Jan. 1, 1944, and Dec, 31, 1950. These men were eligible to be drafted.
195 birthdays were called for possible inauguration. If your birthday wasn't one of the 195 you were considered very lucky. This meant more than half the men born during these years were subject to be inducted into the army. Even though you are getting drafted there is a chance that you do not go into combat. Some people may be eligible for a deferment which is putting something off at a later time. Some categories that may make you eligible for this are College students, Family members of those killed in action, and married people. you could also be excluded for medical or mental reasons which would make the army consider you a conscientious objector.
If you can't dodge the draft legally you could just not show up at your military service. During the Vietnam war around 570 thousand people were classified as draft dodgers because they did not report for induction. The law doesn't require women to join/sign up for the draft but in 2016 Congress came close to including women in the draft, which did not pass. Honestly, it is very rare for the United States draft to truly return because there are not huge conflicts going on in the world, and hopefully not many to come. Hopefully no one ever has to worry about a draft happening again in the United States of America.



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