I have been reading a lot about a major change happening to the draft. The Selective Service System will be moving to automatically register all eligible 18-year-olds by the end of the year. Our draft dodger-in-chief has been struggling with recruitment so, this makes it scary. Zach will be 17 years old in June. Meaning, he will turn 18 next June with Trump in office.
What to Know About the U.S. Military Draft Pool and Automatic Registration - The New York Times
They are having so much trouble with recruitment that they are loosening rules and raising the enlistment age limit for the Army. At Zach's school a parent gives permission for who can talk to their child. Military, Jobs, and Colleges. I checked off jobs and colleges but not the military. How many other parents have shut the military recruitment officers out with doing the same?
Army Raises Enlistment Age Limit to 42 and Eases Marijuana Rules - The New York Times
Across the political spectrum there is talk about Barron Trump (age 20) being drafted. After all, Trump wants to be a king, and king's sons serve in the military. But we all know Barron inherited his dad's "bone spurs" (wink wink nudge nudge). Barron Trump will not be serving. How will those that get drafted feel about that?
Drafting Barron Trump? The Manosphere Wants to Talk About It - The New York Times
But since Vietnam no matter what party the president belonged too. They wouldn't do it. Not just because of personal experience with it. It just was a formality to register. Even Cheney as VP would never have advised it. There are few things I respect about George W. but, I respect that he respected the people too much to call a draft.
My brother had to register in 2002. We talked about this yesterday. I had so many questions and so many fears. He was a huge help in calming me a little. He said that he was very afraid about being drafted. It was a reasonable fear for a long time during the Iraq war. Instead, the military boosted recruitment and that worked. At that time the military was still respectable, and the President was only issuing legal orders and following rules of conduct.
My brother doesn't know the person's age when they are taken off that list. He says for all he knows he's still on it. But then he reminded me of all the steps for a draft. Even if Zach's number got called, there are steps along the way.
Trump needs a large military for strength. Originally, recruitment was still strong. But it is weakening after the misuse of the National Guard. It's not what Americans signed up for so, it's harder to find people who will sign up. If we are lucky, recruitment numbers will be high enough to hold Trump at bay, and he will not call a draft. They are using the unique tool of telling citizen children of undocumented parents that serving will protect their parents from deportation.
U.S. Citizens Are Joining the Military to Protect Undocumented Parents - The New York Times
The only saving grace there is that my brother explained that congress would have to approve a draft and even those who back the war in Iran are not likely to support a draft. If Trump tried the executive order route, democrats would sue and a judge would immediately put a freeze to it.
It's political suicide to support a draft. He's a lame duck so he doesn't care. Personal ambitions might help but, this threat of a draft is coming at a time when if democrats flip the house and/or senate in November, once they are sworn it, American men are safe! But we have until that point to worry. What will republicans do? Even if we flip the house and/or senate, what will a republican lame duck majority do between the November election and the start of the new congress? I still don't see them supporting a draft even if it goes again Trump. They have their own political ambitions and that would tank them.
In one of the articles above, the one on Barron Trump, it stated that currently men have to sign up between the ages of 18 and 25. My thinking, was "this is a loophole! Zach will still be under 25 when Trump leaves office so, he can register at that time and still fit the law!" That is not the case with automatic registration. But how accurate will automatic registration be? Why is this what the military is spending their budget on instead of replenishing a depleted weapon stock?
Interceptor Missiles Save Lives, but Stockpiles Are Dwindling - The New York Times
Trump Maintains That U.S. Has Ample Weapons as Iran War Depletes Stocks - The New York Times
If Zach were to get called there are two ways he would likely not have to go. Possible medical issues and college. This is something else my brother and I talked about. My dad was medically excused when drafted twice for Vietnam because for two years in a row he had ulcers. He also was a college student. My father-in-law had enlisted on his own in the military. I talked about it in the post below from May of 2024. The post is about the classified information that Presidents have but for national security purposes are not made public. The history channel has a TV series called Secrets Declassified hosted by David Duchovny about these very things.
Home With Mommy: President Biden's Complicated Situation
My brother and I talked about the Vietnam draft. He thought my father-in-law would judge our dad for having not served. But I have talked about it with Josh's parents. They both feel that there is nothing wrong about my dad not serving because he had a legitimate reason both times. He wasn't dodging the draft like Trump did. That is the difference. My dad sometimes feels guilty. Someone else had to go instead. But, again, he had a legitimate reason. No draft should have ever been called in the first place!
Zach has some medical problems that in the past would have led a doctor to excuse him in a draft situation. But the rules have been loosened in recent years to allow more people to enlist. Would he still be excused? I know that Josh's parents would support Zach getting a medical exemption in drafted because these are real issues and it would be under real circumstances. My brother also pointed out that Zach will be in college and can get a student deferment. But doesn't deferment mean he would still be possibly re-drafted after college? Another loophole! By the time he's done with college we'll have a new president. Even the MAGA extremists are dodging questions about a draft! The next president, no matter the party, will not call a draft and might end any previous draft called.
With the Selective Services automating registration while we are in an unpopular war, I am far from the only mother worried about this. It's not a good idea to take people who don't want to be there and make them go. They don't have the dedication and drive that those who willingly enlist do. On a battlefield, that could put others in danger. What percentage of American soldiers lost in Vietnam were drafted? I am guessing that number is higher than those who enlisted.
While my brother and I talked about his concern in 2002, I found myself in the weird position of coming to President George W. Bush's defense. That post on Biden's complicated situation is about his decision to help Israel and the classified situation room information that the public might never have access to.
With The Iraq war, you know the White House Situation room was used before going to war. We don't know the information those in that room had and the sources they came from. But we know a lot of congress after getting that same information sided with the war if reluctantly. The information was wrong. But we don't know the sources of that information in the first place.
George W. had to work with the information he had. This was serious for him. Trump is just bored and likes watching the American military blow things up. 13 America soldier have lost their lives in six weeks, and we aren't even boots on the ground yet! Yes, this mama bear is scared and angry. There are a lot of scared and/or angry mama bears heading to the poles this November. Knowing that, what will republicans do? How do you save America? You make sure no draft is called unless the globe faces nuclear annelation!
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