THE YOUNG DUMMY'S GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING
THE DRAFT
In
1973, the draft ended and the U.S. converted
to an All-Volunteer military. The registration
requirement was suspended in April 1975 but
was resumed again in 1980 by President Carte
r in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Registration continues today as a hedge against
underestimating the number of servicemen needed
in a future crisis.
 According
to law, a man must register with Selective Service
within 30 days of his 18th birthday. Selective
Service will accept late registrations but not
after a man has reached age 26. If you are eligible
to register with Selective Service and fail
to do so on time, you may receive a fine of
up to $250,000 and/or five years in jail. Registering
with Selective Service is Federal law. It is
also required to stay eligible for many Federal
and state benefits.
If
a draft were held today, there would be fewer
reasons to excuse a man from service. http://www.sss.gov/viet.htm
QUIZ
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can't be drafted if: |
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I
am the only son |
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I am a full-time student |
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(c)
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I have a felonly |
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I am married with a child and I am the sole provider
for my family |
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I have not registered to vote |
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I am a contentious objector |
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My father was killed in the military |
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I am a girl |
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ANSWERS
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Contrary to popular belief, "only sons,"
"the last son to carry the family name,"
and "sole surviving sons" must register
and they can be drafted. |
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Under
the current draft law, a college student can have
his induction postponed only until the end of the
current semester. A senior can be postponed until
the end of the academic year. |
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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. |
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If
Congress and the President were to reinstate a military
draft, Selective Service procedures currently in
place would not treat married registrants, or those
with a dependent child, any differently from men
who are single. Being married or being a parent
will not, by itself, be grounds for a III-A "hardship
to dependents" deferment, nor will it place
a man in a lower priority of call. |
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You
won't be identified by your voter registration,
but by your birth certificate and Social Security
number. In many states, the compulsory selective
service is tied into driver's license registration.
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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. |
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You are entitled to a peacetime deferment if there
is a military death in the immediate family. You
must be the survivor of one who died as a result
of military service. |
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(Girls
are exempt…for now! |
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Cost
of the War
in Iraq
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more information |
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