kimilseung

Draft is unlikely in modern warfare, but you can start documenting your objection to war now, so that you can not be drafted.
A photo of you at an anti-war demo every now and then for example.
Depends on your risk tolerance if this is worth doing or not.

Some sources suggest stating that you are a conscientious objector on the selective service registration form, as one documented piece of evidence.

http://rcnv.org/programs/mil/sss

Michael

It is the peace that takes the manpower. Both in Iraq and Afghanistan, the war was won quickly but there was never enough manpower to maintain the peace.

However, as former defense secretary Bob Gates stated, “In my opinion, any future defense secretary who advises the president to again send a big American land army into Asia or into the Middle East or Africa should ‘have his head examined’.

Pulaski

Not enough manpower "in theater", maybe, but not an actual shortage of soldiers, or, I believe, of volunteer recruits.

scrubbedexpat099

It may well be illegal in its current format.

Either it stops being sexist or it is dropped.

My vote is on the latter.

jeffreyhy

But a lot of the National Guard was brought up and deployed, an indication that the 'regular' forces were a bit short.

Regards, JEff

Michael

That was Rumsfeld's design to have a smaller standing force and use the national guard/reserves for backup but he didn't realize that you can't patrol a war zone the size of Texas with 100,00 troops. That national guard/reserves are volunteers also.

jeffreyhy

I'm just saying that maybe we don't have more volunteers than we need. Maybe, as you indicate here, we are underestimating what we need. Always have been. The National Guard was never staffed by drafting people (although people who were drafted may have volunteered for the National Guard after their time in the regular forces was completed). Regards, JEff

Steve_

They're going to draft you whether there is Selective Service or not, this is the bit that always gets me.

In Canada there is basically emergency legislation that would be passed and they would use your SIN to call you up. I'm sure they'd do the same in the UK using your NI number.

Selective Service is just a stupid outdated additional bit of bureaucracy, they keep trying to scrap it and some idiot Republican objects.

When I lived in the US they went to extraordinary lengths to try and get me to register, I couldn't believe it. They basically get the info from the SSA and USPS and match the two together and I was subjected to a torrent of nasty letters. I kept sending them a copy of my I-94 showing them I was in a non-immigrant category and eventually someone must have looked through all the paperwork (and I'm sure it was paperwork, no computer was used) and they stopped coming. Followed me through two changes of address!

RICH

If there was a need for a draft in US, it is quite possible the UK would need to do the same, so which country would get first dibs on the draftee?

jeffreyhy

What is the US immigration status of the draftee in question? I assume that you are referring to a UK citizen who is in the USA in one status or another.

Regards, JEff

Pulaski

Country of residence, I would presume.

jeffreyhy

Not if the person is a UK citizen who is a PR in the USA? As long as the UK got to him first. Would be more interesting if the US got him first and the UK came after him when he was already in the US military. Maybe there's something in a treaty somewhere that would work it out?

Regards, JEff

RICH

I was thinking of UKC with a US status making registering for Selective Service necessary

kimilseung

My guess is once you are in, you are in; and no transferring. So in this case the US would call dibbs on the Brit.

jeffreyhy

Registering, yes. But when it comes to actually being drafted by one government or the other then what US status may become important? If the US status is PR, then if both governments go after the person at the same time then the country of citizenship would take precedence? If the US status is citizen, then the country where the person happens to be at the time might, as a practical matter, dictate?

Regards, JEff