selective service

 

in U.S. history, term for conscription.

Conscription was established (1863) in the U.S. Civil War, but proved unpopular (see draft riots). The law authorized release from service to anyone who furnished a substitute and, at first, to those who paid $300. General conscription was reintroduced in World War I with the Selective Service Act of 1917. All men from 21 to 30 years of age (later extended 18 to 45), inclusive, had to register. Exemptions from service were granted to men who had dependent families, indispensable duties at home, or physical disabilities. Conscientious objector status was granted to members of pacifist religious organizations, but they had to perform alternative service. Other war objectors were imprisoned, where several died. By the end of World War I about 2,800,000 men had been inducted.

The United States first adopted peacetime conscription with the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940. The act provided that not more than 900,000 men were to be in training at any one time, and it limited service to 12 months—later (1941) extended to 18 months. After the United States entered World War II, a new selective service act made men between 18 and 45 liable for military service and required all men between 18 and 65 to register. The terminal point of service was extended to six months after the war. From 1940 until 1947—when the wartime selective service act expired after extensions by Congress—over 10,000,000 men were inducted. A new selective service act was passed in 1948 that required all men between 18 and 26 to register and that made men from 19 to 26 liable for induction for 21 months' service, which would be followed by 5 years of reserve duty.

When the Korean War broke out, the 1948 law was replaced (1951) by the Universal Military Training and Service Act. The length of service was extended to 24 months, and the minimum age for induction was reduced to 18¹/₂ years. The main purpose of the Reserve Forces Act of 1955 was to strengthen the reserve forces and the National Guard. It required six years of duty, including both reserve and active duty. The Military Selective Service Act of 1967 required all men between the ages of 18 and 26 to register for service. The regular exemptions along with educational deferments were granted. These loopholes and other technicalities tended to discriminate against working-class and poor men, and thus a higher percentage from these groups were drafted.

Due to this perceived discrimination by class and also because of the great unpopularity of the Vietnam War, conscription became a major social issue. There were numerous demonstrations at draft boards and induction centers. Many young men evaded the draft through technicalities or fraud; thousands fled the country or went to prison. In 1973 conscription was abolished in favor of an all-volunteer army. President Gerald R. Ford granted clemency to many draft resisters in 1974, and President Jimmy Carter granted amnesty to draft resisters in 1977. In 1980, Congress reinstituted draft registration for men 18 to 25 years old. If there were to be a crisis, registered men would be inducted as determined by age and a random lottery.

Selective Service System
Created	May 18, 1917 (By the Selective Service Act)
Established	September 16, 1940 (By Selective Training and Service Act of 1940)
Deactivated	March 25, 1975 (By the Presidential Proclamation 4360: Terminating Registration Procedures Under Military Selective Service Act)
Reactivated	July 2, 1980 (By the Military Selective Service Act)
Director	William A. Chatfield
Budget	$24.3 million (2007 estimate)
Employees	139 full-time civilian 56 part-time civilian State Directors 250 part-time military Reserve Officers 10,000 volunteer Board Members (2007 estimates)

The Selective Service System is the means by which the United States administers military conscription. It entails registering all men between the ages of 18 and 25 with the system for the purpose of having information available about potential soldiers in the event of war.

History

Main article: Selective Service Act

The Selective Service Act (40 Stat. 76) was passed by the Congress of the United States on May 18, 1917 creating the Selective Service System. The Act gave the President the power to draft men for military service. The Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 was passed by the Congress of the United States on September 16, 1940, becoming the first peacetime conscription in United States history. The original Act was allowed to expire in 1947 because it was thought that a sufficient number of volunteers would enlist for the nation's defense.^{[citation needed]} The number of volunteers was not enough, however, and a new draft act was passed in 1948. Between 1948 and 1967 several draft laws were enacted.

On March 25, 1975, Pres. Gerald Ford signed Proclamation 4360, Terminating Registration Procedures Under Military Selective Service Act, eliminating the registration requirement for all 18-25 year old male citizens. Then on July 2, 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed Proclamation 4771, Registration Under the Military Selective Service Act, retroactively re-establishing the Selective Service registration requirement for all 18-26 year old male citizens born on or after January 1, 1960. Only men born between March 29, 1957, and December 31, 1959, were completely exempt from Selective Service registration.^[1] The first registrations after Proclamation 4771 took place on Monday, July 21, 1980, for those persons born in January, February and March 1960 at U.S. Post Offices. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays were reserved for persons born in the later quarters of the year, and registration for persons born in 1961 began the following week ^[2].

Current status

The United States abandoned the draft in 1973 under President Richard Nixon, ended the Selective Service registration requirement in 1975 under President Gerald Ford, and then re-instated the Selective Service registration requirement in 1980 under President Jimmy Carter.

Today the Selective Service System remains as a contingency, should a military draft be re-introduced.^[3]

Under current law, all male U.S. citizens are required to register with Selective Service within 30 days of their 18th birthday. Certain male aliens residing in the U.S., including those present illegally, are also required to register if they are between 18 and 26 years of age. "Willful" failure or refusal to present oneself for registration is against the law.^[4][5]

In 1980, young men who knew they were required to register and did not do so, could face up to five years in jail or a fine up to $50,000 if convicted. The potential fine was later increased to $250,000. Despite these possible penalties, government records indicate that from 1980 through 1986 there were only 20 indictments, of which 19 were instigated in part by self-publicized and self-reported non-registration.^[6] As one of the elements of the offense, the government must prove that a violation of the Military Selective Service Act was knowing and willful. This is almost impossible unless the prospective defendant has publicly stated that he knew he was required to register or report for induction, or unless he has been visited by the FBI, personally served with notice to register or report for induction, and given another chance to comply. The last prosecution for non-registration was in January 1986, after which many believed the government declined to continue prosecutions when it became apparent that the trials were themselves causing a decline in registration. Unlike the situation at the time when the draft was in effect, routine checks for id virtually never include a request for draft card.

As an alternative method of encouraging registration, federal legislators and most state legislators passed laws requiring that to receive financial aid, federal grants and loans, and certain government benefits, a young man had to be registered with Selective Service. Organized efforts to aid those losing benefits include Fund for Education and Training (FEAT) and Student Aid Fund for Nonregistrants.^[7][8]

In the current registration system one cannot indicate that he is a conscientious objector (CO) to war when registering, but he can make such a claim when being drafted. Some men choose to write on the registration card I am a conscientious objector to war to document their conviction, even though the government will not have such a classification until there is a draft.^[9]

Today, the most likely form of draft is a one of health care workers.^[10] In 1987, Congress ordered the Selective Service System to put in place a system capable of drafting "persons qualified for practice or employment in a health care occupation", if such a special-skills draft should be ordered by Congress. In response, Selective Service published plans for the "Health Care Personnel Delivery System" (HCPDS) in 1989 and has had them ready ever since. The concept underwent a preliminary field exercise in Fiscal Year 1998, followed by a more extensive nationwide readiness exercise in Fiscal Year 1999.^[11] The HCPDS plans include women and men age 20–54 in 57 job categories.^[12]

Legal issues

Although the Selective Service System is authorized by the Selective Service Act, some argue the constitutionality of the act, claiming the law violates the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution of the U.S. Constitution by providing for military conscription. Opponents of the law contend that the draft constitutes "involuntary servitude", under the amendment, which states:

Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.^[13]

This has not been supported by the courts; as the Supreme Court said in Butler v. Perry:

The amendment was adopted with reference to conditions existing since the foundation of our government, and the term 'involuntary servitude' was intended to cover those forms of compulsory labor akin to African slavery which, in practical operation, would tend to produce like undesirable results. It introduced no novel doctrine with respect of services always treated as exceptional, and certainly was not intended to interdict enforcement of those duties which individuals owe to the state, such as services in the army, militia, on the jury, etc.^[14]

Exemption of women

The issue of women being exempted was addressed and approved in 1981 by the United States Supreme Court in Rostker v. Goldberg, with the Court holding "The existence of the combat restrictions clearly indicates the basis for Congress' decision to exempt women from registration. The purpose of registration was to prepare for a draft of combat troops. Since women are excluded from combat, Congress concluded that they would not be needed in the event of a draft, and therefore decided not to register them."^[15]

Structure and operation

The Selective Service System is an independent federal agency within the Executive Branch of the Federal government of the United States.

Further information: Independent Agencies of the United States Government

The Director of the Selective Service System reports directly to the President of the United States of America.^[16]

During peacetime (current structure), the agency comprises a National Headquarters, three Regional Headquarters and a Data Management Center. During a mobilization (draft), the agency would greatly expand by activating an additional 56 State Headquarters, 400+ Area Offices as well as 40+ Alternative Service Offices.^{[citation needed]}

Mobilization (draft) procedures

1. Congress and the President authorize a draft: A crisis occurs which requires more troops than the volunteer military can supply. Congress passes and the President signs legislation which revises the Military Selective Service Act to initiate a draft for military manpower.
2. The Lottery: A lottery based on birthdays determines the order in which registered men are called up by Selective Service. The first to be called, in a sequence determined by the lottery, will be men whose 20th birthday falls during the calendar year the induction takes place, followed, if needed, by those aged 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 19 and 18.5 year olds (in that order).
3. All parts of the Selective Service System are activated: The Agency activates and orders its State Directors and Reserve Forces Officers to report for duty.
4. Physical, mental and moral evaluation of registrants: Registrants with low lottery numbers receive examination orders and are ordered to report for a physical, mental, and moral evaluation at a Military Entrance Processing Station to determine whether they are fit for military service. Once he is notified of the results of the evaluation, a registrant will be given 10 days to file a claim for exemption, postponement, or deferment.
5. Local and appeal boards activated and induction notices sent: Local and Appeal Boards will begin processing registrant claims/appeals. Those who passed the military evaluation will receive induction orders. An inductee will have 10 days to report to a local Military Entrance Processing Station for induction.
6. First draftees are inducted: According to current plans, Selective Service must deliver the first inductees to the military within 193 days from the onset of a crisis.

Lottery procedures

If the agency were to mobilize and conduct a draft, a lottery would be held in full view of the public. This would be covered by the media. First, all days of the year are placed into a capsule at random. Second, the numbers 1-365 (1-366 for lotteries held in a leap year) are placed into a second capsule. These two capsules are certified for procedure, sealed in a drum, and stored.

In the event of a draft, the drums are taken out of storage and inspected to make sure they have not been tampered with. The lottery then takes place, and each date is paired with a number at random. For example, if January 16 is picked from the "date" capsule and the number 59 picked from the "number" capsule, all men of age 20 born on January 16 will be required to report for conscription only after men with birthdays paired with numbers 1-58 are inducted. In other words, birth dates paired with the lowest number are inducted first. If all dates are used, the Selective Service will then conscript men at the age of 21, then 22, 23, 24, and 25. Men ages 18 and 19 are not likely to be inducted to the system. Once all dates are paired, the dates will be sent to Selective Service System's Data Management Center.

Classifications

If a draft were held, local draft boards would classify registrants to determine whether they were exempt from military service. According to US Code of Federal Regulations Title 32, Chapter XVI, Sec. 1630.2, men would be sorted into the following categories:

Class	Category
1-A	Available for unrestricted military service.
1-A-O	Conscientious objector available for noncombatant military service only.
1-C	Member of the Armed Forces of the United States, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the Public Health Service.
1-D-D	Deferment for certain members of a reserve component or student taking military training.
1-D-E	Exemption of certain members of a reserve component or student taking military training.
1-H	Active Registrant (*All registrants currently in the database have this classification)
1-O	Conscientious objector to all military service. A registrant must establish to the satisfaction of the board that his request for exemption from combatant and noncombatant military training and service in the Armed Forces is based upon moral, ethical or religious beliefs which play a significant role in his life and that his objection to participation in war is not confined to a particular war.
1-O-S	Conscientious objector to all military service.
1-W	Conscientious objector ordered to perform alternative service.
2-D	Registrant deferred because of study preparing for the ministry.
2-S	Registrant deferred because of collegiate study.
3-A	Registrant deferred because of hardship to dependents.
3-A-S	Registrant deferred because of hardship to dependents (separated).
4-A	Registrant who has completed military service.
4-A-A	Registrant who has performed military service for a foreign nation.
4-B	Official deferred by law.
4-C	Alien or dual national.
4-D	Minister of religion.
4-F	Registrant not acceptable for military service. To be eligible for Class 4-F, a registrant must have been found not qualified for service in the Armed Forces by a Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) under the established physical, mental, or moral standards. The standards of physical fitness that would be used in a future draft would come from AR 40-501.
4-G	Registrant exempted from service because of the death of his parent or sibling while serving in the Armed Forces or whose parent or sibling is in a captured or missing in action status.
4-T	Treaty alien.
4-W	Registrant who has completed alternative service in lieu of induction.

Directors

	Director[17]	Tenure	Appointed by
1.	Clarence Addison Dykstra	1940-10-15 - 1941-04-01	Franklin D. Roosevelt
2.	Lewis Blaine Hershey	1941-07-31 - 1970-02-15	Franklin D. Roosevelt
	Dee Ingold	1970-02-15 - 1970-04-06	(Acting)
3.	Dr. Curtis W. Tarr	1970-04-06 - 1972-05-01	Richard Nixon
	Byron V. Pepitone	1972-05-01 - 1973-04-01	(Acting)
4.	Byron V. Pepitone	1973-04-02 - 1977-07-31	Richard Nixon
	Robert E. Shuck	1977-08-01 - 1979-11-25	(Acting)
5.	Bernard D. Rostker	1979-11-26 - 1981-07-31	Jimmy Carter
	Dr. James G. Bond	1981-08-01 - 1981-10-30	(Acting)
6.	Thomas K. Turnage	1981-10-30 - 1986-10-23	Ronald Reagan
	Wilfred L. Ebel	1986-10-24 - 1987-07-08	(Acting)
	Jerry D. Jennings	1987-07-09 - 1987-12-17	(Acting)
7.	Samuel K. Lessey Jr.	1987-12-18 - 1991-03-07	Ronald Reagan
8.	Robert W. Gambino	1991-03-08 - 1994-01-31	George H. W. Bush
	G. Huntington Banister	1994-02-01 - 1994-10-06	(Acting)
9.	Gil Coronado	1994-10-07 - 2001-05-23	Bill Clinton
10.	Alfred V. Rascon	2001-05-24 - 2003-01-02	George W. Bush
	Lewis C. Brodsky	2003-01-03 - 2004-04-28	(Acting)
	Jack Martin	2004-04-29 - 2004-10-28	(Acting)
11.	William A. Chatfield	2004-10-29 -	George W. Bush

See also

• Conscription in the United States

Notes

External links

• Official home page
• The Military Selective Service Act
• Information For Selective Service Registrants
• Prosecutions of draft registration resisters in the USA since 1980
• Resisters.info - information and resources about draft registration and draft resistance
• MedicalDraft.info - FAQ's about the medical draft ("Health Care Personnel Delivery System")
• A Perspective on the Selective Service System Military Draft During the Vietnam War - The Final Draft in U.S. History
• Overview of SSS process and external information. In particular, key education related differences since the Vietnam War

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