draft, sign up - what are dis-qualifiers?

[shugah]

obviously, there were many reasons that individuals were excluded from the draft during vietnam - the chicken hawk database offers a wealth of reasons for not serving.

even those who want to volunteer have to meet certain requirements. i know that based on the need of the armed services at points in the past, they would "take anybody" sometimes, and other times, they'd not take a person who admitted to having used recreational drugs or similar reasons.

this is a 2-part question. does anyone know what the current criteria for volunteers is? i assume recruiting is not too discretionary at the moment, but what would be dis-qualifiers?

and part 2, obviously, if the draft is reinstated, there are going to have to be changes to the vietnam method (the national guard is not going to be a haven for off-spring of the wealthy and well connected, for instance). i think i've also heard that school deferment, and only male child deferment are no longer valid.

CO status has also been radically changed too, i believe.

anyway - who knows what would disqualify a person today, and what is anticipated to disqualify a person if the draft actually comes back?

[bluestateguy]

1. Ideas

Smoke a lot of weed before your physical...positive drug test.

Fake gay. Introduce the draft board to your friend Bruce.

Pig out. Too fat to serve.

[shugah]

2. does overweight disqualify?

[bluestateguy]

3. It can

I believe former Michigan governor John Engler was too fat.

[noonwitch]

24. It kept John Engler out of Vietnam

Repuke former MI governor who left the state bankrupt and the lakes polluted after letting his industry friends stomp all over environmental laws.

[adriennel]

29. it's true!

all true....Engler was too fat to go to Vietnam and grew even FATTER gorging on MI resources.

[RoyGBiv]

8. Too Fat

Don't try that one. Even in a peace-time army, if a recruiter is running below his quota, he'll "work with you." What "work with you" means is get you to sign your name and then send you off to what is basically an intensive weight loss camp.

A friend of mine was recruited by the Navy because he had this amazing aptitude for math. The problem was he was quite overweight. He got the "work with you" line, and he said it was a worse hell than he'd ever imagined. Made basic training a breeze, though.

As to the original questions, I don't know the answers except what the selective service site says (http://www.sss.gov). But I'm acquainted with an army recruiter, and I've talked to him recently. He's having to run all over the state trying to meet his quotas, and he said he's accepting people that probably wouldn't have been accepted two years ago. The standards are laid out pretty clearly, but when it gets down to the human level, there's quite a bit of subjectiveness to it. It depends on need and the predilections of the individual recruiter.

[seabeyond]

4. bummer both my boys are ssssooooo gay

and they flaunt it too, real loud, lol at 6 and 9 years old, wink

love those homophobes

[richabk]

5. Selective Service website

I was wondering the same thing myself, so I found the website for the Selective Service. It appears they have made some changes since the Vietnam era to make sure more people can't get out of serving.

http://www.sss.gov/

[shugah]

12. thank you for the link

i'm trying to find the pertinent info on the selective service site.

oh, & BTW welcome to DU :hi:

[Guy Fawkes]

6. actually...no

I don't think weight is a dis-qualifier. However, bad grades are.

[Must_B_Free]

7. What if you're just basically a selfish asshole

does that disqualify you?

[DAGDA56]

9. Not if there's an opening in the Texas ANG.

nt

[Gman]

10. A friend of mine

did a bunch of speed before he went in for his physical then ran up and down the stairs several times before he went in. He was disqualified for duty due to high blood pressure.

[Gman]

11. A big butt cyst

will get you disqualified.

[shugah]

13. mental health, physical health, flat feet

what exactly is "flat feet?"

[sablescort]

14. I've been digging thru the SSS site.....

looking for classifications and qualifications that would be subject to draft:

Here is a list of some, though not all, classifications and what they mean:

1-A - available immediately for military service.

1-O Conscientious Objector- conscientiously opposed to both types (combatant and non-combatant) of military training and service - fulfills his service obligation as a civilian alternative service worker.

1-A-O Conscientious Objector - conscientiously opposed to training and military service requiring the use of arms - fulfills his service obligation in a noncombatant position within the military.

2-D Ministerial Students - deferred from military service.

3-A Hardship Deferment - deferred from military service because service would cause hardship upon his family.

4-C Alien or Dual National - sometimes exempt from military service.

4-D Ministers of Religion - exempted from military service.

Student Postponements - a college student may have his induction postponed until he finishes the current semester or, if a senior, the end of the academic year. A high school student may have his induction postponed until he graduates or until he reaches age 20.

Appealing a Classification - A man may appeal his classification to a Selective Service Appeal Board.

http://www.sss.gov/classif.htm

I found a link to Vietnam era military draft classifications:

http://members.aol.com/warlibrary/draft.htm

[shugah]

16. thank you!

i am having some trouble navigating the selective service site. they don't make the info you've provided easy to find!

[happynewyear]

20. I knew a young man that was a ministerial student

He got out of the draft and his father was a minister also. I think he had to go out of his way to prove this status, but he was for real no doubt. Today he is a full-fledged minister best I know. It takes what it takes I suppose.

[wabeewoman]

23. Looks like no deferments for

married, married with children, college students except to the end of the semester. I also heard Canada will extradite you now if you try to go there. I bet they'll take you if you're gay-they'll just not ask or refuse to acknowledge it. I've been warning everyone I know with children. I don't see anything about sex. Are they planning on drafting women?

"a college student may have his induction postponed until he finishes the current semester or, if a senior, the end of the academic year."

A Mormon friend told me she thought her boys would be on a mission and they wouldn't be drafted-guess that qualifies as ministerial.

[icymist]

15. Get good and drunk the night before your physical

so you look and feel your best! --Arlo Guthrey/Sally's Restaurant

edit for spelling

[PaDUer]

17. Ask Limpballs for his favorite OC n/t

[PaDUer]

18. kick n/t

[icymist]

19. This might be a stupid question...

But that's the only way I know of to learn....What's OC n/t?
I don't know every abbreviation in the world and since I work in nursing, I get plenty (more than enough) abbreviations there to remember! Thanks.

[Lasira]

21. OC is...

oxycontin, the prescription drug Rush was/is addicted to.

at least I'm 98% sure that's what was meant by OC.

[PaDUer]

25. Yep, that's it. n/t

[PaDUer]

27. Please don't take this the wrong way...

but you said you "work in nursing"...and you don't know what OC is? I take it that you're not a nurse then.. OC is engraved/etched right on the one side of the tablet, and the other side has the mg of that tablet engraved/etched on it.

[oedo]

22. Maybe I Can Help Here a Little

I know about a book called "Helping Out" which contains a lot of useful knowledge knowledge about how to get out of the army (in some cases it can be even possible getting an honorable discharge, though). Unfortunately I forgot the author's. name But maybe the people behind this link can remember.:
http://girights.objector.org/getting-out.html
They were touring through Europe last winter and I had the pleasure learning about their work.

If you're ever trouble, contact a councelor. There're oftenly easy ways out without any serious consequences.

[Blue_Tires]

26. asthma

[wuushew]

28. How does your fitness rating affect your draft chances numerically?

Dean had a bad back but was elegible to be drafted.

How much more at risk is a healthy highschool athlete to a regular Joe?