Women and the Draft

Young ladies who celebrate their 18th birthday starting in 2018 might have another little chore to do after the party: register for the draft. Not the kind that blows through a room on a cold night but the military draft. The US Senate on June 14th passed a military policy bill that would, for the first time, require young women to register with the Selective Service for the draft. This provision was included as part of the massive 2017 National Defense Authorization Act that easily passed in the Senate with an 85-13 vote. Indiana's senators Donnelly and Coats both voted for the bill.

Why you ask? Well in December, Defense Secretary Ash Carter stated that the Pentagon would open all combat jobs to women. The military brass then suggested to Congress that women should also sign up for the draft. Women who fail to register would be subject to the same penalties that currently exist for men, including ineligibility for federal financial aid, including Pell grants.

Its a little early to think about what branch of the service you want to join or what color camouflage you might like because this bill still has to go to the House of Representatives. There the Senate and House bills will be reconciled in a conference committee where a heated debate is expected.

It is very unlikely that a draft will be instituted anytime soon. The last time the draft was used was over forty years ago in 1973 during the Vietnam War. Israel is currently the only country in the world with a mandatory service requirement for women. Mandatory conscription for single and married women without children began in 1948. Our present armed forces are all voluntary and women in uniform make up 19%  of the military.

A recent article in US News and World Report stated: "Yes, women are daughters, wives, sisters and mothers. But they are also soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and American citizens from every walk of life. Ultimately, facts, not emotions, must rule the day when it comes to deciding what is best for national defense."