Signing up for The Draft

[Bullgrit]

Since there are a lot of guys here my age, or close to it (41), I thought I'd bring this topic here.

Total Bullgrit

Americans:
Did you register with Selective Services when you turned 18?
Was it before or after the Gulf War of 1991?
Was it before or after the events of 9/11?
How did you feel about it?
Were world events at the time a factor in how you felt about it?

Non-Americans:
Is there a conscription law in your country? How does it work and how do you feel about it?

What I'm asking with "how did you feel about it?", I'm not talking about it on a overall, political beliefs level. I mean on a personal, gut feeling level.

Bullgrit

 

[megamania]

Since there are a lot of guys here my age, or close to it (41), I thought I'd bring this topic here.

I am turning 40 this summer

Americans:
Did you register with Selective Services when you turned 18?

Yes. That day in fact. I wished to be able to vote afterall

Was it before or after the Gulf War of 1991?

Before, tensions were there but that was all (1987)

Was it before or after the events of 9/11?

Before

How did you feel about it?

Civil Duty which meant little to me but I did wish to have the power of voting. At 18 I had only my father's perceptions of politics. Little of my own.

Were world events at the time a factor in how you felt about it?

Tensions were building but no. The Middle East has always had tension

 

[hafrogman]

Did you register with Selective Services when you turned 18?

Yes

Was it before or after the Gulf War of 1991?

After

Was it before or after the events of 9/11?

Before

How did you feel about it?

I didn't like it. But much like Mega, I had outside compulsion to comply. I had a national scholarship that required me to register before I enrolled in college. I noted my conscientious objector status on my card (not that there was a place for it, just off to the side) and my willingness to perfom non-combative service. Then I mailed off the card, and a mailed myself a copy of the card so I had an independant record.

Were world events at the time a factor in how you felt about it?

No, but it did weigh a lot more in my mind a year and a half later on 9/11.

 

[Stormborn]

Since there are a lot of guys here my age, or close to it (41), I thought I'd bring this topic here.



Americans:
Did you register with Selective Services when you turned 18?
Was it before or after the Gulf War of 1991?
Was it before or after the events of 9/11?
How did you feel about it?
Were world events at the time a factor in how you felt about it?

Bullgrit

I am about to be 37.
Yes.
Just before (I turned 18 in 1990)
Way before.
My father (viet nam: 3 purple hearts) and great uncle (WWII: Congregtional Medal of Honor) were decorated vets, but I had no desire to go to war, but was raised to do my duty if called upon. I was about to go into college and felt that the possibilty of a draft was very remote, even then.

I also feel this thread will be closed sooner rather than later.

 

[El Mahdi]

40 years old (couple months away from 41)

Americans:
Did you register with Selective Services when you turned 18?

Yes, imediately after turning 18. However, I was already signed up for delayed enlistment in the Air Force at 17 (early 1986). But, even though I was already enlisted, and even while I was in the Air Force, it's still a legal requirement to register with selective service and maintain address/contact information. Now that I'm retired from the military I have to keep my inactive reserve status information up to date.

Was it before or after the Gulf War of 1991?
Was it before or after the events of 9/11?

Well before both. I registered for selective service in the summer of '86, and entered active duty in the fall of '86. I was a Sergeant E-4 during the Gulf War (one of the last Sergeant E-4's in the Air Force, E-4's now are Senior Airman only) and stationed in England. I was a Staff Sergeant on leave (returning from Korea to a new assignment in the States) when 9/11 occured.

How did you feel about it?

It was all wrapped up with my enlisting at the same time, but I felt both excited and nervous. Excitement as to what I was about to embark on. Nervousness due to the enormity of it and thoughts about things that could happen. The ramifications can be scary when you really stop and think about them.

Were world events at the time a factor in how you felt about it?

Maybe. It's really hard for me to separate my feelings from possible motivations of the time. Besides, I was just a damn kid. But, it was smack dab in the middle of the Reagan Era and still 4-5 years away from the end of the Cold War. So I'd have to say that, Yeah, they were probably factors in my feelings and decisions.

 

[Bullgrit]

Interesting replies, here. Thanks.

The Middle East has always had tension

Well, yeah. But I really didn't pay that much attention to the tension until turning 18 and signing with the Selective Service. Then all of a sudden, that tension was "serious." Any little saber rattling from any party seemed much more ominous.

I also feel this thread will be closed sooner rather than later.

Why would it be closed at all?

Bullgrit

 

[Grabuto138]

I have never really talked to anyone in the post-Vietnam era who considered registering for the Selective Service as any more or less impacting than renewing a vehicle registration or some other tedious government mandated responsibility. I personally don't remember registering. I do, however, remember taking the day off of work in order to play a video game I wanted to solve and getting a call from an NCO at a local Army Resevere unit informing me that I was activated from the IRR with only two moths left in my committment. No one actually expects to be called out of the IRR, especially if you joined pre-9/11. But the possibility was in the contract after all.

 

[Orius]

Did you register with Selective Services when you turned 18?

Yes.

Was it before or after the Gulf War of 1991?

After.

Was it before or after the events of 9/11?

Before.

How did you feel about it?

Didn't really feel anything. It was just something I was supposed to do when I turned 18.

Were world events at the time a factor in how you felt about it?

It was the mid-90's. Not much was happening, so no.

I don't really think about it much either. The American military doesn't seem to want to return to a compulsory draft after all the problems with it during Vietnam.

I also feel this thread will be closed sooner rather than later.

It shouldn't if people don't drag overly political crap into the thread. So far, that doesn't seem to have happened.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I also feel this thread will be closed sooner rather than later.

No reason why it should as long as it doesn't drift into political commentary.

Regards,

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Since there are a lot of guys here my age, or close to it (41), I thought I'd bring this topic here.

Total Bullgrit

Non-Americans:
Is there a conscription law in your country? How does it work and how do you feel about it?

What I'm asking with "how did you feel about it?", I'm not talking about it on a overall, political beliefs level. I mean on a personal, gut feeling level.

Bullgrit

Yes, there is in Germany.
it applies to males of age 18 or older. There is a test that checks whether you're fit for duty - physically and mentally. There are several fitness grades, T1 to T7. If you rank too low - or low enough - you are excused and will not be drafted in.
f you're the 3rd son or later in a family, you won't be drafted in either.

You can decline for moral reasons and than have to do a similar length civil service (e.g. working with disabled, working at emergency services and similar things.)
You are drafted in when you finished your school education (basically you're ready for your work or the university).

I decided (partially for laziness - if you want to decline and perform civil services instead, you need to find a job for it, and at that time, the civil service was also still a month longer) to do the job.

I didn't like it much. Base Military Training was hell for me. I was away from home, away from my girlfriend (my first one!), away from family, and the instructors were all Arschlöcher (pardon my Klatchian German). After that training, we got into our regular units. The job was mostly boring, a lot of time hanging around, a little sports and some sandbag filling and moving, and a few drills.

A few points I observed:
- You get to know different people than usual. Unfortunately, that mostly meant stupid people or people with mental problems. Not really the kind of experience I want to repeat, but I guess it's good for my life experience.
- Firearms are fun to handle if you're just shooting practice targets.
- You learn a little more discipline. I am not convinced I needed that.
- You earn some money before you start studying. A nice buffer that allowed me to buy decent hardware.

Overall, I am not a fan. I see the theoretical points - attracting new people to the service, ensuring that the military is not isolated from the regular civilian society - but I am not convinced they are achieved. I think the best point is the fact that so many people decline and perform civil services means that there are more cheap workers in that area.