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Who would get drafted first?

Author

Emily Sparks

Published Jan 23, 2026

The first men drafted would be those turning age 20 during the calendar year of the lottery. For example, if a draft were held in 2020, those men born in 2000 would be considered first.

Who is exempt from being drafted?

Certain elected officials, exempt so long as they continue to hold office. Veterans, generally exempt from service in peacetime draft. Immigrants and dual nationals in some cases may be exempt from U.S. military service depending upon their place of residence and country of citizenship.

Who would get drafted in a war?

The Selective Service System, otherwise known as the military draft or conscription, requires almost all male U.S. citizens and immigrants, ages 18 through 25, to register with the government.

Can a 30 year old be drafted?

Present - The U.S. currently operates under an all-volunteer armed forces policy. All male citizens between the ages of 18 and 26 are required to register for the draft and are liable for training and service until the age of 35.

Can the first son be drafted?

No. the “only son”, “the last son to carry the family name,” and ” sole surviving son” must register with Selective Service. These sons can be drafted. However, they may be entitled to peacetime deferment if there is a military death in the immediate family.

32 related questions found

How do you avoid the draft?

By circumventing the law

  1. Obtaining conscientious objector status by professing insincere religious or ethical beliefs.
  2. Obtaining a student deferment, if the student wishes to attend or remain in school largely to avoid the draft.

Do females have to register for Selective Service?

As of January 2016, there has been no decision to require females to register with Selective Service, or be subject to a future military draft. Selective Service continues to register only men, ages 18 through 25.

Can you be drafted at age 35?

All men from the ages of 18 to 64 years will now be eligible for the draft, according to a decision made by congressional committees on December 16, now including men with families who might have previously been exempt because of old age or boys fresh out of school.

Can the youngest son be drafted?

Contrary to popular belief, "only sons," "the last son to carry the family name," and "sole surviving sons" must register and they can be drafted. However, they may be entitled to a peacetime deferment if there is a military death in the immediate family.

Who qualifies for the draft?

Almost all men ages 18-25 who are U.S. citizens or are immigrants living in the U.S. are required to register with Selective Service. Citizens must register within 30 days of turning 18.

What happens if you refuse the draft?

Selective Service will probably assume you're one of them. If you get a draft notice, show up, and refuse induction, you'll probably be prosecuted. However, some people will slip through the cracks in the system, and some will win in court. If you show up and take the physical, there's a good chance that you'll flunk.

Is being drafted mandatory?

In the United States, every male resident is required by law to register with the Selective Service System within 30 days following his 18th birthday and be available for a draft; this is often accomplished automatically by a motor vehicle department during licensing or by voter registration.

Can college students be drafted?

He could continue to go to school and be deferred from service until he was too old to be drafted. Under the current draft law, a college student can have his induction postponed only until the end of the current semester. A senior can be postponed until the end of the full academic year.

Does ADHD exempt you from the draft?

While ADHD alone does not disqualify a person from military service, the Department of Defense (DOD) places significant enlistment restrictions on individuals with an ADHD diagnosis and/or prior treatment with medication. Has documentation of adverse academic, occupational, or work performance.

Can all brothers go to war?

In World War II, the five Sullivan brothers from Waterloo, Iowa, were killed when their cruiser was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. After that, Congress considered forbidding siblings to serve together in wartime. The Army still permits family members to serve together, but they can ask to be separated.

Who is exempt from Selective Service?

The criteria for exemption from registration are: A man is placed in a hospital, nursing home, long-term care facility, or mental institution on or before his 18th birthday, had no breaks of institutionalization of 30 days or longer, and remained institutionalized until his 26th birthday.

Can you be drafted if you have flat feet?

People often ask: “Why can't people with flat feet join the army?” Flat feet, commonly known as enormous feet, are when people have flat feet. They cannot walk long distances. Therefore, you cannot join the military with flat feet.

Can felons be drafted into war?

It is a violation of the law not to report. Just because you might have a felony conviction on your record would not prevent you from receiving a draft notice in times of war and when the draft is active.

How old is to old for the military?

What age is too old to join the military? Federal law dictates that the oldest recruit for any military branch must be 42 years old. However, each branch can set its cap below that < 42 limit.

What was the oldest age drafted in WWII?

On September 16, 1940, the United States instituted the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, which required all men between the ages of 21 and 45 to register for the draft. This was the first peacetime draft in United States' history.

Did they abolish the draft?

From 1940 until 1973, during both peacetime and periods of conflict, men were drafted to fill vacancies in the United States Armed Forces that could not be filled through voluntary means. Active conscription ended in 1973 when the U.S. Armed Forces moved to an all-volunteer military.

What are reasons to not be drafted?

6 Reasons You Probably Won't Be Conscripted, Even if We Bring Back the Draft

  • Obesity. An FMWR group fitness class student at work at the Sgt. ...
  • Education. Sgt. ...
  • Criminal Records. ...
  • Health Problems. ...
  • Drugs. ...
  • The Usual Reasons.

Is the draft still a thing?

While the draft ended after the Vietnam War when the U.S. moved to the current all-volunteer military, the Selective Service System remains in place if needed to maintain national security. The mandatory registration of all male civilians aged 18 to 25 ensures that the draft can quickly be resumed if needed.

How long do you go to jail for refusing the draft?

Knowing and willful refusal to present oneself for and submit to registration as ordered is punishable by a maximum penalty of up to five years in Federal prison and/or a fine of US$250,000, although there have been no prosecutions of draft registration resisters since January 1986.

Can you get drafted if you wear glasses?

Poor vision typically will not limit your ability to serve in the U.S. Military, so long as your vision problem can be suitably corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses or vision correction surgery. However, each branch of the military has its own regulations regarding vision and vision correction.