When was registration for the draft reinstated

Proof of registration is required only for men born after December 31, Men Born Before Career Training and Employment. Federal Job Training The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act formerly known as the Workforce Investment Act , offers programs that can train young men for jobs in auto mechanics and other skills.

Federal Jobs A man must be registered to be eligible for jobs in the Executive Branch of the Federal government and the U. That, in turn, introduced inequities into the draft, undermining the legitimacy of the process. Men with means, especially white men, were significantly more likely to obtain a deferment than working-class men, particularly men of color. The government seems to have learned from that experience.

If the draft ever were renewed, these types of deferments would likely not be allowed. But many more Americans reach draft-eligible age each year than the military could possibly use. Any new draft would still raise new questions about the fairness of who serves and who does not. Any major conflict with a great power adversary — however unlikely — would require a much larger military than the country has at present.

Registration is supposed to provide Selective Service with a list of everyone eligible to be drafted and their contact information.

So registration theoretically speeds up the process of bringing hundreds of thousands of soldiers into the military. And planning is important. Failure to plan adequately for bringing large numbers of recruits into the military has made wartime mobilization complicated in the past, as in the U. The mobilization process itself is a massive production. During World War II , more than , volunteers helped evaluate men at over 11, local draft and appeal boards.

Every person was examined; classified as available, deferred or exempt; and then processed through the system appropriately, including considering appeals. In , during the Vietnam War, with a much smaller draft than in World War II, more than 31, people staffed thousands of local and appeal boards around the nation.

The present system has just 11, volunteers identified as ready to help. In rejecting National Coalition for Men v. Selective Service, the Supreme Court has made it clear that Congress needs to act. In the summer of , registration was resumed. Presently, young men must register within 30 days of their 18th birthday.

View Historical Timeline. The first Vietnam lottery, held on December 1, , brought with it many changes to prior Selective Service System procedures and protocols. This event determined the order of call for induction during calendar year The Selective Service System has changed a lot since the s. A series of reforms during the latter part of the Vietnam conflict changed the way the draft operated to make it more fair and equitable.

Learn more about our fair and equitable system. Most Americans born before remember the "draft card" which Selective Service issued to each man at the time he registered. For many years there were in fact two cards: the Registration Certificate and the Notice of Classification. Learn more about the history of the draft card and our modern practices. Learn about the numbers of men who entered military service through the Selective Service System during major 20th century conflicts in which the U.