HOW THE DRAFT WILL WORK
Who
will be drafted first?
If the draft is activated, the first
people drafted will be those young men turning
20 during the current calendar year.
The age 20 selection group, should the draft be
activated in the year 2005, consists of all those born in 1985.
Induction to the draft:
After Congress and the President
authorize a draft the Selective Service will hold a lottery where each day of
the year is matched with a lottery number from 1 to 365. Potential draftees would get whatever number
is assigned to their birthday. Those
who are turning 20 in that calendar year and have the number “one” will be
called first, then all who have the number “two” and so on in that age
group. Each year the Selection Service
will hold a new lottery for those who are turning 20 in the upcoming year (for
example 2006 and born in 1986).
Every
eligible person in the age 20 selection group must first be drafted and then
Selective Service would go to those with the #1 in the age 21 group. Selective Service expects more than half the
draftees in the age 20 group will for some reason fail the induction
process (failing the medical and mental
exams or due to a postponement, deferment, exemptions, or conscientious
objector classification). Therefore,
they will order to appear for a medical examination and induction to the
Selective Service more than twice as many as men. This means even though you
have a high draft number or are older than 20 years old, you may be called due
to the amount of people the Selective Service will be recruiting.
Also keep
in mind that a military conscription
could include women.
There are two sets of
draft procedures currently in place.
One is the emergency draft where the SSS
has less than two weeks to induct the
first draftees.
The other one is the non-emergency draft where the SSS
has 6 months to for mobilization.
It is not certain which of the two would be used in a case of a draft. It
could be a combination of both.
In the case of the
two-week emergency draft, the lottery will be held the day after the
Congress and the President authorize a draft. The next day induction orders
will be sent out in
form of a mailgram to those whose numbers are called up instructing them
to report within a certain number of days for examination at their MEPS
(Military Entrance Processing Station) . The draftee could have as
little as 10 days from the order’s postmark date before he has to report for
his induction physical. If he passes the physical he could be on the bus to
boot camp that day.
If someone wants to file a claim for exemption, deferment or
conscientious objection, he can only do this after he received his draft
notice and the day before he reports for his
induction physical. This means if you receive your induction order on day 2 after it is postmarked
saying you must show up to MEPS on day 10, your window of opportunity to
properly file a claim is between day 2 and day 9. You must have the claim properly postmarked on day 9. Otherwise you have lost your window of
opportunity to file a claim. Failure
to file a claim during that narrow window of time means that you waive your
right to whatever classification you may otherwise qualify for.
In the case of the six month
non-emergency
draft, the draftee receives an induction mailgram with the order to report for
a pre-induction
physical within as little as 10 days from the postmark date of
the order. If the draftee passes the physical only then will he be given 10
calendar days to file a claim for deferment, exemption and conscientious
objection.
.Once you properly file a claim, which means
submitting the paperwork during the small window of time that the Selective
Service provides, you cannot be drafted until there has been a final
determination of your claim. If your
claim is approved, you will be reclassified and not drafted as long as you
remain qualified for that classification.
Note!! Once you get a deferment
or exemption, then later lose it, you go to the top of the order for being
drafted. And you would be drafted
before the next person in the “age 20 selection group.”
Your options are briefly (but not
completely) explained in a booklet, Information
for Registrants, available at the post offices and at your Selective
Service Area Office in the event of a draft.
You must file the appropriate form for
the specific exemption, deferment, postponement, or Conscientious Objector
classification. There are different
forms for each kind of claim. Know which form you need and the criteria
that make you eligible for the particular claim you file. All claims are processed by the Area Office. If the Area Office denies your claim, it can
be reviewed by the Local Claims Board at your request. The Local Claims Board can change the
classification you were given.
The
following resources can help you identify claims you are eligible for
and the appropriate forms:
·
The
Wisconsin Draft Counseling Network (608) 250-9240
·
The
Center on Conscience and War
(NISBCO) (202) 483-2220 www.nisbco.org
·
The Selective Service System website www.sss.gov.
The Hearing of your claim at a Local
Claims Board
Any time your claim is being heard
by the local board, you have the right
to a personal appearance before the board, and you should request it. Conscientious Objectors are required to
appear before the local board. At the
hearing you have at least 20 minutes and may present up to three
witnesses. You may be accompanied by an
advisor, and may request the meeting be open to the public. You cannot record the hearing, but you can
submit your own summary within five days after
the hearing. If your claim is denied
after making appeals to the local board’s decision with the District Appeal
Board and then the National Appeal Board, you will be ordered to report to
induction.
You must keep in mind ‘BE READY’
You should always remember, should there be a draft, there will be
very little time for submitting claims, documenting them, and filing
appeals. Selective Service anticipates
that it will be a matter of weeks, not months, between
the time a draftee is initially alerted and he is either reclassified or in the
military. Be prepared, know what
claims you can make and have the documentation ready now! Make sure you keep copies of everything!
Also keep in mind any of the draft procedures
are subject to change at any time.
Most of this information was gathered
from the document, “Basic Draft and Registration Information,” and is available
on the website of the Center on Conscience and War
(NISBCO), www.nisbco.org
Wisconsin Draft
Counseling Network (608) 250-9240 3/05
This information is a
service to the public and is not intended as legal advice.