Google searches for “WWIII” and “US draft age limit” spiked Saturday in the wake of news that Iran deployed multiple drones toward Israel.
This follows Israel’s bombing that resulted in the deaths of several Iranian officials earlier this month, the IDF confirmed.
The drone attack late Saturday marked the first time Iran had ever launched a full-scale military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Associated Press reports.
While there isn’t currently a draft in place, Congress and the president can reinstate the draft and force male citizens to serve in the military in the event of a national emergency or war that all-volunteer military can’t adequately support.
Here’s what you need to know about the military draft.Â
The military draft – officially known as the Selective Service System – requires nearly all male U.S. citizens and male immigrants ages 18 to 25 to register with the government, in accordance with federal law.
“The Selective Service System and the registration requirement for America’s young men provide our Nation with a structure and a system of guidelines which will provide the most prompt, efficient, and equitable draft possible, if the country should need it,” the official website explains.
The selective service is a government bureau separate from the Defense of Defense.
Almost all men who are 18-25 years old and live in the U.S. must register for Selective Service. This includes:
- U.S. citizens (U.S. born, dual citizens, and naturalized)
- U.S. citizens who live outside the country
- Immigrants (legal permanent residents and undocumented immigrants)
- Refugees and asylum seekers
- Transgender people who were assigned male gender at birth.
If you are a military veteran or a military reservist, you are still required to register with Selective Service.
However, if you served in the Armed Forces and are 26 or older, but failed to register, your DD Form 214 is evidence that your failure to register was not knowing and willful. Learn more here.
