White House Mulls Making Women Eligible for Military Draft

Carter Urges 'Review' of Law Based on Growing Role on Women

Following the Pentagon’s decision to allow women into all combat roles, the White House has confirmed they are considering changes to the Selective Service Act to force women to register for future military drafts.

Under the current law, all men have to register for the draft at age 18, and can be called through age 26, but has not actually conscripted any into military service since December of 1972. Women are not required to register.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter is apparently the one that’s been pushing this “review,” citing the growing role of women in the military, and the new decision to put them in all combat roles. Congress is waiting for a Pentagon report on the usefulness of conscripting women.

Reps. Duncan Hunter (R – CA) and Charles Rangel (D – NY) are both urging the extension of the law to include women, with Hunter citing the possibility of World War III, and Rangel just supporting reinstating the draft universally and immediately.

Rep. Mike Coffman (R – CO), on the other hand, says the Selective Service system is a waste of money, and instead of expanding it to include women, this would be a good opportunity to just scrap it entirely, saying if there was a sudden need for a draft in the future it would be easy enough to pass a new version.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.