A military draft in 2005?-Fiction!

The U.S. is Gearing Up for a Military Draft in 2005-Fiction!

Summary of eRumor:

The eRumor warns that there are two bills before Congress that, if passed, would bring back the military draft and make it mandatory for both boys and girls starting in June, 2005.  

The Truth:

The bills, S.89 and H.R.163 are real.
But they are not new.
An eRumor started circulating in June, 2004 warning that the draft was only a year away.
In reality, these twin bills have existed since 2003 and have never gotten out of committees.
In other words, they are stagnant.
Nobody in Washington seriously expects a draft and certainly not by 2005.
It’s known as the “reinstate draft” bill or the “Universal National Service Act of 2003.”
The wording of the bill says it is “To provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes.”
It would require U.S. citizens and other residents, both male and female, between the ages of 18 and 26 to serve two years of “national service.”

The reason the bills have gotten attention in 2004 is the military actions in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the war on terrorism.
There has been debate about troop strength in Iraq and the status of all the U.S. Armed Forces.
The U.S. Selective Service, however, says that despite the Internet stories, the agency is not getting ready to conduct a draft.
It says it is ready to do so should the President and Congress decide, but “that responsibility has been ongoing since 1980 and is nothing new.”
The Selective Service further says that “…both the President and the Secretary of Defense have stated on more than one occasion that there is no need for a draft for the War on Terrorism or any likely contingency, such as Iraq. Additionally, the Congress has not acted on any proposed legislation to reinstate a draft.”

Last updated 6/18/04