The military draft, (also known as conscription, has always been a controversial topic. With events unfolding, some people are beginning to worry. There have been some concerns about a draft commencing, consequently taking fathers, sons, and brothers away from families. The minimum age for all eligible male “draftees” is eighteen.

“Virtually all male U.S. citizens and male immigrant non-citizens between the ages of 18 and 25 are required by law to have registered within 30 days of their 18th birthdays”, Selective Service Facts said.

The times that conscription has been used has either been in times of civil unrest or war. Usually when there are periods of peace in the United States, the draft is not initiated. If people do not sign up for the armed forces, the Selective Service System takes effect to fill the ranks.

“As in most militaries, members of the U.S. military hold a rank, either that of officer, warrant, or enlisted, to determine seniority and eligibility for promotion. Those who have served are known as veterans,” United States Armed Forces said.

The draft is a very unpopular form of control that the government has on its citizens. Conscription has been a scare tactic used to force people to volunteer for service. The best way to get people to volunteer is to create a better sense of nationalism, and show people what they are defending.