Editorial: Don’t worry about a military draft

When the news of Russia invading Ukraine broke, people across the world were shocked. Immediately, people in the United States started to overreact, and worried the draft would be reinstated. For those who aren’t familiar with the draft, the draft works by drawing from a pool of men who have registered with selective service.

The draft hasn’t been used by the U.S. Government since 1970, and will not likely be used ever again.

The idea of being forced to serve in the military is scary for a lot of U.S. citizens, and some people panic anytime there’s any type of global conflict that the U.S. could possibly become involved in.

In order for the draft to occur, there has to be an emergency so large that there aren’t enough people willingly in the military already. Then, Congress has to authorize the standing president (currently Joe Biden) to start gathering people for armed services.

According to americaspromise.org, the U.S. has over 1.4 million active military members, and over eight-hundred thousand in the reserves. If needed, the country has around 2.2 million soldiers ready. It would be a while before the military would need more soldiers to boost their troops.

It is unlikely the draft will ever be implemented again. If you are feeling anxious about it, try to remember that many things need to be done before it can even be thought about as an option.

• For the Collegian editorial board

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