This essay argues against reinstating military conscription in the United States. Drawing on the history of the Selective Service System from World War II through the end of the draft in 1973, the paper evaluates common pro-draft arguments — including equitable sacrifice, class diversification, and filling troop vacancies — and systematically refutes each. The essay contends that a draft would infringe on individual freedom and constitute a form of involuntary servitude, that elite citizens would still find ways to avoid service, and that modern high-tech warfare is better served by skilled volunteers and trained reservists than by large conscripted forces. The paper concludes that the all-volunteer military should be maintained.
The United States has remained engaged in prolonged and demanding conflicts in both Iraq and Afghanistan. As American forces continue to struggle, many within the country have begun advocating for the reinstatement of military conscription — the draft — as a means of increasing both the number and diversity of troops serving in the contemporary military. However, these arguments prove to be problematic. Reinstating the draft would not properly diversify the military; it would instead only deprive American men of their freedom of choice — an essential element of the very freedom so many fight and die to protect.
The American military draft was a practice administered by the Selective Service System. According to the research, "For more than 50 years, Selective Service and the registration requirement for America's young men have served as a backup system to provide manpower to the U.S. Armed Forces" (Powers, 2010, p. 1). The draft as we know it today was initiated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940 in order to increase the number of service members during one of the United States' most consequential wars, World War II (Selective Service System, 2011). Roosevelt drafted the Selective Training and Service Act to ensure that the American military had the numbers it needed to defeat the Axis powers.
From 1948 to 1973, the draft was used as a mandatory mechanism to "fill vacancies in the armed forces which could not be filled through voluntary means" (Powers, 2010, p. 1). The draft operated as a lottery in which birthdates were selected and all registered men born on those dates were brought into military service (Selective Service System, 2009). The draft ended in 1973, effectively converting the American military to an all-volunteer force (Selective Service System, 2011). Today, a draft is no longer a likely occurrence for most American men. Nevertheless, all males in the United States between the ages of 18 and 25 are still required to register for the draft (Powers, 2010). Penalties for failing to register include fines of up to $250,000, exclusion from federal employment, and denial of federal financial aid. Registration with the Selective Service is also a requirement for citizenship (Selective Service System, 2011). This existing infrastructure makes it legally possible to reinstate the draft, and that possibility has fueled fierce debate in American politics.
Those who support reinstating the draft typically cite several arguments for why it is both necessary and beneficial. Proponents contend that the draft ensures all citizens share in the sacrifice required to protect the liberties everyone enjoys. George Washington was quoted as saying, "it must be laid down as a primary position and the basis of our system, that every citizen who enjoys the protection of a free government owes not only a proportion of his property, but even his personal service to the defense of it" (Gill, 2010, p. 3). A voluntary military, in this view, places a disproportionate burden on a smaller number of Americans; the draft would redistribute that burden more broadly.
An additional argument is that the draft would bring upper-class recruits into the military, whereas the voluntary system draws predominantly from the middle and lower classes. Furthermore, a draft would make available a larger cross-section of potential soldiers, effectively improving the overall quality of U.S. recruits (Gill, 2010). This broader pool would protect the military from experiencing significant personnel shortages that could compromise its effectiveness.
"Point-by-point rebuttal of pro-draft claims"
It is clear that the draft is inappropriate within contemporary American policies and practices. Despite some support for increasing the number and diversity of troops, the draft would not produce a significant enough impact on military effectiveness to justify curtailing the rights and freedoms of the American people. The all-volunteer military should remain the foundation of American national defense.
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