Our first use of “the draft” was during the Civil War. The Enrollment Act of 1863 was our first national conscription law. It provided the authority to draft men between the ages of 20 and 45 and set out the rules. The act was controversial and roundly criticized. Among other things, it provided an easy way out for wealthy young men. They could pay a fee of $300 to the government, or they could pay another qualified young man to serve in their place. The draft ended after the war.
The draft for WWI began with the Selective Service Act of 1917. Twenty-four million men registered, and 2.8 million were actually drafted. The draft for WWII was initiated by the Selective Training and Service Act in September 1940, before the U.S. entered the war, making it the first peacetime draft in our history. By the end of WWII, 50 million men had registered, with 10 million of them drafted.
The Vietnam draft began on 1 December 1969. Selections were made from randomized birthdays drawn on that date. Men born between 1944 and 1950 were eligible. Just over two million young men would be drafted from the 27 million eligible. The Vietnam draft rapidly became unpopular. Millions of college students were deferred. Medical exemptions were lax. A draft that was supposed to be representative of the general population was not. It was largely the poor and disadvantaged who were drafted. Many public figures have been labeled “draft dodgers”. Bill Clinton, because of repeated college deferments, and Donald Trump, because of his “bone spurs”. In fact, Clinton’s draft number was 311, and Trump’s draft number was 356. Neither man would have ever been drafted. The last man drafted during Vietnam was Dwight Stone, a 24-year-old plumber from California, on 30 June 1973, after which the draft was terminated. Barack Obama was too young for the draft, having been born in 1961.
In 1980, selective service registration resumed. All young men are required to register within 30 days of their 18th birthday. Failure to do so can result in both civil and criminal penalties. Most commonly, registration is accomplished online or at the post office.
After a number of studies, the most comprehensive being by the Gates Commission, the U.S. moved to an all-volunteer military in 1973. The move was controversial, primarily because of the expense. The first year saw an increased cost of $3 billion, and the cost has increased every year since. That cost has to be drawn from other essential areas. The pay of the lowest enlisted member, an E-1, increased 80 percent between 1971 and 1973.
The services have often had to resort to enlistment bonuses to fill quotas. Currently, the Marines are offering up to $15K, the Army and Air Force up to $50K and the Navy a whopping $75K for those who qualify for their Nuclear Power Program.
Young men and women volunteer for a variety of reasons. Some out of patriotism. Some to get a college education. Some to learn a valuable skill. Some because they just need a job. Very few 20-year-olds get complete dental and medical care and a 30-day paid vacation each year. In fact, the pay and allowances of a military member frequently exceed those of a civilian counterpart. The average military member retires at the age of 42, followed by subsidized health care and a substantial monthly retirement check from a system to which they made no financial contribution.
The unfairness of our drafts is behind us. One problem persists and has not been solved by our all-volunteer policy. We still do not have a cross-section of our population in our military. A selective service draft, if honestly applied, would fix that. Unfortunately, we have proven that we don’t have the courage to conduct a fair draft.
By Paul Warrick: September 26, 2025 – Great Falls, Mt
Author: Staff
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