A Question about my Son and A Possible Draft

[babsbunny]

My Son Is 18 now, he is my Husband's only child. Under these circumstances, would my Son be Drafted, and sent off to fight? Thanks For Your Help. He has not graduated from High School yet either, and if they don't draft you without a High School diploma, we are in no hurry for him to finish school.

[MrModerate]

1. I haven't read the rules since about 1972 . . .

when it was a matter of paramount interest to me personally, but I think they'd modify the selection criteria to meet whatever they consider the current needs to be.

I'm thinking they'd be looking for high-tech cannon fodder (computer literate 18-20-year olds), and a whole bunch of public affairs types (liberal arts grads 21-25).

[Child_Of_Isis]

3. (liberal arts grads 21-25).

Oh no! What have I done? Mine is in liberal arts. :scared: But I have a girl. Which most likely won't matter.

[MrModerate]

6. And you thought that degree wouldn't be good for anything . . .

And now, due to your finely honed analytical abilities and sensitivity to the larger soul of mankind, you'll be able to help bring democracy to the millions -- at the point of a gun.

Maybe that accounting course would have been a better bet after all.

[Child_Of_Isis]

19. Not me. My kid is in Liberal Arts. eom.

[serryjw]

9. A Guess, but I disagree

Computer literate/degree
medical/nursing
police/ or any training like this
ME languages!


I don't see LA background high on the hit parade. Only time will tell about draft for females.

[bananas]

2. Have him graduate ASAP

"A high school student may have his induction postponed until he graduates or until he reaches age 20"
https://www4.sss.gov/classif.htm

There probably won't be a draft until things really heat up, which would probably take another two years. By then your son would be 20, and would be drafted even if he hasn't finished high school. He should finish high school as soon as possible, because it will increase his earning potential and quality of life, and it will be much harder for him to finish later, especially if the economy is set back.

[babsbunny]

7. Thanks for the website!

It wouldn't let me bookmark it for some reason. So there is nothing saying if your draft age Son is your only child, he's exempt?

[bananas]

13. bookmark

I don't know what the exemptions will be.
Maybe you could call your local draft board and ask,
there should be a phone number on the sss.gov website.
Or you could call your congressman's office.

Try "http:" instead of "https:" to bookmark the link.
http://www4.sss.gov/classif.htm

Here's another website that might be helpful:
http://www.comdsd.org

[SW FL Dem]

16. I don't think that exception exists anymore

My son is my only and did the research last year. I am pretty sure there is no excpetion for only children.

[AndyTiedye]

17. No Exemption for Being an Only Child, None for College Either

Some of the services have already raised the enlistment age to 39,
and they've been pulling in reservists as old as 67!

Once the draft starts up, it's going to not so much a draft as a tornado.
How many troops will they need for Iran, Syria, and the rest of the PNAC Wars?

Does he have any skills that are in demand in Canada or New Zealand or some similarly peaceful place?

I'm sure glad I don't have kids right now.

[acmejack]

4. He better stay in school.

They would be happy to draft him, but not until he either graduates or quits school. It amazed me how quickly they discovered I quit attending college in the bad old days. They don't care if you have a diploma, trust me.

If they start the draft and one is classified 1A it is adios.

[Jamison]

5. Question about draft (age)

What age do they normally consider one to be too old & decrepit to be drafted?

[LisaL]

8. No way to tell.

Until and unless they pass the draft bill. I mean, it's entirely possible they could draft people until they are 35, women too.
WTF knows what they come up with?

[shanti]

10. does he have any medical conditions?

n/t

[babsbunny]

11. He is color blind

What if he suddenly decided he was Gay?

[shanti]

12. not sure if they're still using that one

i'd try to find a medical condition. i do know that he would be rejected if he was asthmatic. it makes them nondeployable.

[politicat]

14. He would need to prove it.

That will become the new flat feet, and the SS will look sternly at those who claim to be gay.

My suggestion would be for him to look at becoming a divinity student - even if not Christian, those who are studying to be ministers are exempt. (As an aside, the military is in need of chaplains who are not Christian, so if he has any interest at all in religion, and would like a rather cushy job with an assured pension and good benefits - and never have to fight - a chaplain is the way to go.) He would need a 4 year degree in religion (comparative religion works) and a minor in sociology or psychology (for the counseling aspect.)

If he's not religious, the military needs atheist chaplains, too, and the world could use more educated non-theistic religious historians and conflict resolution specialists.....

[dflprincess]

15. Under the old rules

an only child could be drafted. The "sole surviving son" rule applied only if other son(s) had been killed while serving (I don't know if that applied to combat deaths only or not). (For example, if "only" 4 of the Sullivan brothers had died when their ship sank and the fifth one had not been in the service, the surviving one would have been exempt.)

And, I know that, as of now, Air Force won't take someone without a high school diploma, I don't know about the other branches.

[Divernan]

18. The draft requirements can be changed very quickly.

Currently, the Army is enlisting many high school dropouts. It is not looking for any skills other than the ability to walk while wearing a uniform. Under the current draft requirements, a college student will be allowed to finish the semester he/she is in when drafted, and a senior will be allowed to finish an additional semester so he/she can graduate. No exceptions for only children. Since even highly trained Air Force members are being posted to drive trucks and guard prisoners in Iraq, I don't think the draft will be aimed at any particular skill level. Traditionally, when an Army draft was looming, people enlisted in less dangerous branches of the service. but now Bush is blurring the lines and cannibalizing the more elite services to fill the gaps in the decimated Army. I have a friend whose 19 year old just failed out of college (screwing around), and my friend was going to push him to enlist in the Coast Guard until I told him the Coast Guard is being posted to Guantanamo to guard prisoners and otherwise help out with the "renditions". I agree that your son should be encouraged to finish high school ASAP. There is nothing to be gained by delay. In fact, if he WERE drafted and decisions were being made who would be the first line of cannon fodder, the dropouts are clearly first choice.