(NewsNation) — A proposal that would require women to register for the Selective Service is causing controversy, but the U.S. is far from the only country grappling with who should be eligible to be drafted.
A proposal on Capitol Hill would require women to sign up for the Selective Service at the age of 18, the same way men have to.
The Selective Service operates a registry of those eligible to be drafted if needed. Men between 18 and 25 who are residents of the U.S. must register and keep their information updated. The registration is based on sex assigned at birth and all male U.S. citizens must register, as well as many non-citizens, including permanent residents, asylum seekers and immigrants who crossed into the country illegally. Since the 1980s, the agency has also kept a database of health care workers in key jobs between the ages of 18 and 54, which includes both men and women.
The new proposal comes after the House of Representatives recently passed a defense bill that allows the government to automatically register 18-year-old men into the draft system. A Senate committee then created its own version of the bill, including women in the text and sparking a massive reaction from lawmakers.
Registration with the Selective Service is not the same as a draft and there hasn’t been a draft in the U.S. since 1973.
As the U.S. debates the role of women in the draft, Israel is also facing shifts. The country, which already requires military service from both men and women, has been engaged in a debate over whether ultra-Orthodox citizens often known as Haredi have to serve as well.
The Israeli Supreme Court recently ruled Haredi must be included in the draft. That population makes up about 13% of the 9.9 million people in Israel and the decision could be a tough one politically for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It also comes as Israel continues military operations against Hamas in Gaza and faces increased fighting with Hezbollah on the Lebanon border.
Both debates occur as countries grapple with what military readiness looks like. Lawmakers have pointed to rising tensions overseas between China and Taiwan, along with the wars in Gaza and Ukraine as they discuss what a draft would mean.
The House bill automatically registers men between 18 and 25, which isn’t new. The majority of states already have automatic registration, with only a few giving people the ability to opt out. While men cannot generally opt out of Selective Service registration because they are conscientious objectors, they would be able to make that claim if called up for a draft.
Registration is not the same as enlistment. Even if a draft were called, there are many reasons people could be rejected after being called up, including criminal convictions, medical problems and educational enrollment, among others.
Maj. Gen. William Enyart told NewsNation the proposal is more about optics than anything and the Selective Service acts as a safeguard in the event of emergencies.
“The draftees would be enlisted soldiers, they would not serve as officers or warrant officers unless they signed up for that and extended their enlistment,” he said. “Back in the day, a draftee was typically drafted for two years but generally didn’t serve that full two years. They generally served maybe 19 to 21 months.”
Supporters of the proposal have noted that all branches of the military have faced a drop in recruitment which could hamper military readiness. They have also noted that war now looks different than it did during the World Wars or Vietnam, with more non-combatant roles as technology increases. Cyber warfare, biological warfare and unmanned drones are now a part of conflict, creating roles even for those who don’t meet combat fitness requirements.
