Selective Service (the Draft)

As a condition of citizenship in the United States, all men ages 18 to 26 were eligible for the military draft, meaning that, if chosen by a lottery system, they had to serve in the armed forces. The program of compulsory enlistment in the United States Military, which had run continuously since 1940, ended in 1973.

Though males today are still required to register with the Selective Service System within 30 days of their 18th birthday, it is unlikely that the draft will be reinstated in the foreseeable future due to the success of the all-volunteer military.

According to the Selective Service System, during the last period of conscripted service between August 1964 and February 1973, 1.8 million men were drafted into the military though most of those did not see action in Vietnam.