The US is moving to change the Selective Service registration process this year, but that does not mean a military draft is in the works. Here is what’s happening.
After Congress approved automatic registration in last year’s defense policy bill, which was signed into law in December, the Selective Service System proposed rules at the end of March.
The SSS says automatic registration of eligible men is expected by December, meaning 18-year-old men in the US will be automatically enrolled in the Selective Service’s database rather than have to complete a form. The intention, SSS says, is a “streamlined registration process.”
Driven by new mandates in the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, this change will shift registration from something that individuals do to something the government does automatically with available federal data.
While some critics say that the move is a significant change to Selective Service that could make it much easier to pursue the draft if needed, lawmakers behind the change have framed it as an update to bureaucratic processes that will save time and money.
What is Selective Service?
The US created its first national conscription system during World War I and established its first peacetime draft in 1940, before entering World War II, registering millions of men. The draft was used for decades, most notably during the Vietnam War, when conscription became extremely unpopular.
The US military shifted to an all-volunteer force in 1973, pushing the Selective Service System into what the agency describes as a “deep standby” status, though registration was reinstated in 1980 in case a draft was ever again needed.
Selective Service registration of eligible males — women are currently ineligible for the draft, though some have pushed to change that — is intended to enable swift mobilization in the event of a national emergency requiring a draft.
Failure to register for the draft is a felony offense that can come with steep penalties of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, as well as a loss of benefits, though prosecution is generally rare.
What is the draft?
The US last used the draft in 1973, at the end of the Vietnam War era. The Selective Service System today maintains the list of men, ages 18 to 25, who could be called up if a draft were reinstated.
Roughly two-thirds of US military personnel who served in Vietnam were volunteers, but the draft still weighs heavily in memories of the conflict, having been a significant point of contention at the time.
More recently, discussions of a potential draft resurfaced during US military action against Iran, as questions emerged about whether the conflict could expand and see the US put troops on the ground in Iran.
The US executed Operation Epic Fury, which is now on hold amid a fragile ceasefire, without putting boots on the ground, but that possibility loomed large, especially as thousands of Marines aboard amphibious assault ships moved into the region.
Early on in the war, Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” host Maria Bartiromo asked White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt about a draft and the possibility of putting American troops on the ground in Iran.
Leavitt said “it is not part of the current plan right now, but the president again wisely keeps his options on the table.” Other Trump administration officials have taken similar approaches by not ruling out even unlikely options; a return to conscription would notably require Congressional authorization, according to the Selective Service.
“People ask, ‘Boots on the ground, no boots on the ground?” Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said in an interview on CBS News’ “60 Minutes” around the same time. “You don’t tell the enemy, you don’t tell the press, you don’t tell anybody what your limits would be on an operation,” he said.
The US military put American troops on the ground in Iran in an effort to rescue two downed airmen, but there has been no large-scale ground operation, such as may be needed to seize key Iranian oil infrastructure or to ensure the destruction of highly enriched uranium.
For now, the US still relies on an all-volunteer military force. Changes to Selective Service affect records-keeping procedures. They do not determine whether Americans will be drafted.
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