On June 19th, The New York Times reported that Congress is pushing to include women in the draft to address the U.S. Armed Forces’ military resources shortage.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee on June 14th, includes revising the law to require women to register for the draft.
The U.S. currently operates a volunteer military system, but most men aged 18 to 25 must register for the draft, facing potential penalties for noncompliance. This is to secure information on potential draftees in a war requiring more troops. The last draft in the U.S. was during the Vietnam War.
The idea of including women in the draft is being considered in response to declining military recruitment numbers since the end of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to recent reports, less than 1% of U.S. adults serve as active combat troops. A military expert panel suggested in 2020 that including women in the draft aligns with “the national security interest of the United States.”
The New York Times reported “that while the chances of the bill passing both houses are slim, it illustrates how lawmakers are reevaluating the draft system when the Department of Defense faces recruitment challenges and military readiness issues are increasingly prominent amid global risks and conflicts.
In” the U.S., women have been able to serve in all military positions since 2016, and there is some bipartisan support for including women in the draft. However, The New York Times explained that the conservative Republican party has strongly opposed this for years.
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