As global instability dominates international headlines and the United States adopts an increasingly assertive posture on the world stage, a somber question from the mid-twentieth century has resurfaced in the American consciousness: who would be called to serve if a major conflict necessitated the reinstatement of the draft? While the United States has maintained an all-volunteer force for over half a century, the legal and administrative infrastructure of the Selective Service System remains a dormant but fully functional engine, ready to be ignited by an act of Congress and a presidential signature.
To understand the stakes of a modern draft, one must look at the historical precedent. During the Vietnam War, between 1964 and 1973, approximately 1.8 million men were conscripted into service. The human cost was staggering, with 17,671 draftees losing their lives in combat. This history serves as a haunting backdrop for contemporary discussions, emphasizing that the blood shed by draftees is no different from that of volunteers. Although the last induction orders were issued on June 30, 1973, the requirement for young men to register with the government has never truly gone away.
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