Among the issues it's examining: Should draft registration be mandatory? If so, what's fairest way to enforce it? Should the same consequences that have followed men for nearly four decades also apply to women?
Those status-information letters are the first step in trying to appeal the denial of benefits, and are the best indication of how many men have been impacted by legal consequences of failing to register. More: Should women be required to register for the military draft? On paper, it's a crime to "knowingly fail or neglect or refuse" to register for the draft.
Last year, Selective Service referred , names and addresses of suspected violators to the Justice Department for possible prosecution. Still, only 20 men have been criminally charged with refusing to register for the draft since President Jimmy Carter reinstated it in in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Only 14 were convicted. The last indictment, in , was dismissed before it went to trial. So now the system relies largely on voluntary compliance, a patchwork of state laws, and the risk of losing federal benefits.
Congress passed two provisions to tighten enforcement in the s. The Solomon amendment in made Selective Service registration a requirement for federal student aid. The Thurmond Amendment in did the same for federal employment. Apply for Certificate of Citizenship N Citizenship Resource Center. Citizenship Cost Calculator. Green Card. Renew a Green Card I Replace a Green Card I Remove Conditions on Green Card I Get a Reentry Permit I Green Card Center.
Adjustment of Status. Green Card through Adjustment of Status. Adjustment of Status Application I Affidavit of Support I Employment Authorization I Advance Parole Application I Adjustment of Status Fee. Family-Based Immigration Explainer. Search the Learning Center. Request Support. Consequently, only men are currently required to register by law with Selective Service during ages 18 thru Women still do not register. The government has appealed this decision to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Oral arguments on the appeal were heard in March , and a decision is pending. The registrant signs in the presence of a postal clerk and shows an I. The post office will send the form to the Selective Service. Registration may also be accomplished by filling out and mailing the Reminder Mailback Card sent to many young men around the time of their 18th birthday.
It is whether anyone should still be required to sign up for the draft. As a philosophical matter, it is far from clear how society can square the defense of individual liberty as a core value with a requirement that young people be made available for involuntary conscription.
To earlier generations, it may have seemed that no better choice existed. But we know better now. For 50 years, America has been protected by an all-volunteer military — and never have its protectors been more capable, professional, and well-trained. The United States is defended by men and women who choose to wear the uniform.
Compared with draftees, they work harder, serve longer, perform better, and are more likely to regard their service as a calling, not a compulsion.
Their commitment and skill are reflected in the consistent No. The creation of the all-volunteer force has been one of the most successful policy shifts in US history.
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