The United States is now officially involved in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. As tensions strain between the U.S. and the countries of Iran and Iraq, much of the population is anticipating escalation. Among these people are the students of Newport, who are questioning the possibility of a military draft.
What is now being called the Iran War officially began in late February of this year. At the heart of the conflict are the United States and Israel, against Iran and Iraq. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, is not directly involved, an aspect that President Trump criticizes as a lack of action warranting a consideration of the U.S.’s NATO membership. The conflict has been marked by bloodshed, as with any war. Israeli strikes have killed numerous Iranian leaders, beginning with the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Many name Khamenei’s death as the central cause of the military combat. Iran fired a barrage of missiles towards Israel on multiple occasions, including those launched this March, which were intercepted. As of now, the U.S. has not sent ground troops to Iran. The option is being considered for potential specialized missions.
A military draft, hypothetically, would enlist male citizens aged eighteen to twenty-five who are registered with the Selective Service. By law, all men in that age group must be registered with the Selective Service. Women are not currently required to register. In the event of a draft, a random lottery would take place to determine who would be sent out. The lottery would begin with those whose twentieth birthday is in the year the lottery is held. If needed, additional lotteries for induction in the following order of ages: twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five, nineteen, and eighteen point six. Certain qualifications make a person ineligible for the draft, including severe injuries or disabilities and status as a family’s only living son. The U.S. military draft has not been used since the early 1970s, during the Vietnam War. Four official rounds of the draft were used over the two decades the U.S. was involved in Vietnam.
As the Iran conflict heats up, many students are voicing concerns about being drafted. Most seniors are eighteen when they graduate, eligible for the draft. Among the fears of being drafted is the debate on whether a draft will occur. “I believe so,” said sophomore Logan Weimer when asked whether he thinks there will be a draft. “We have not been in a war for two decades . . . with two decades of peacetime, [the U.S. military] just isn’t prepared for conflicts.” Others see a draft as unlikely, as the U.S. is not officially at war with Iran. This can be counterclaimed, however, by the fact that the United States was never officially at war with Vietnam, either. Drafts can be pulled if a state of national emergency is declared, not just if the U.S. is in war as stated by Congress.
