Learn how a military draft works and find out if and how you need to register for Selective Service. Show
The DraftA draft is the mandatory enrollment of individuals into the armed forces. The United States military has been all-volunteer since 1973. But an act of Congress could still reinstate the draft in case of a national emergency. The Selective Service System is the agency that registers men and is responsible for running a draft. Who Must Register with Selective Service
Register with the Selective Service System
Check Your Selective Service RegistrationYou’ll receive a letter in the mail with your Selective Service registration card within 90 days of registering. The letter and card are your Selective Service proof of registration. If you do not receive the letter and card within 90 days, call 1-847-688-6888 and follow the prompts. Choose the option for receiving your own Selective Service number. You are required to keep your registration information up-to-date until you turn 26. Contact the Selective Service System if:
If you’ve lost your registration card, use the letter that came with it to show proof of registration. You can get a copy of the letter by completing this Verify Registration form. What Happens After You Register with Selective ServiceOther than receiving your proof of registration, nothing happens unless there’s a situation requiring a draft. If Congress and the president authorize a draft:
What Happens If You Do Not Register for Selective ServiceIf you are required to register and you do not, you will not be eligible for state-based student aid in many states, federal job training, or a federal job. You may be prosecuted and face a fine of up to $250,000 and jail time of up to five years. If you’re an immigrant to the U.S., you will not be eligible for citizenship. If you never registered and are being denied federal or state benefits, you may still be able to get them. To do so, you must provide evidence that you did not intentionally avoid registering. Get More Information or Contact the Selective Service SystemFind answers to frequently asked registration and draft questions on the Selective Service System’s FAQ page. To contact the Selective Service System, call 1-847-688-6888 or toll-free 1-888-655-1825 Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM ET. The Selective Service System was established in 1917 to administer the draft and maintain an updated database of potential service members in times of no draft. It was meant to be a simple system in which men registered and women were exempt. This thinking, however, largely fails to account for the transgender experience. The information below has been compiled to help you navigate this system. THE SELECTIVE SERVICEU.S. citizens and legal residents aged eighteen through twenty-five who were assigned male at birth are required to register with the Selective Service System. This registration is used to keep an updated database of potential service members in case a draft were to be reintroduced. Currently, all citizens whose birth assigned sex was male must register within thirty days of their eighteenth birthday. Failure to do so is punishable by up to five years in prison and $250,000 in fines, though individuals have rarely been prosecuted. Applications for federal financial aid for higher education, federal employment, United States citizenship and other government benefits have been made contingent upon Selective Service registration in order to encourage compliance. Therefore, when applying for government benefits, transgender people can often face particular difficulties in regards to their Selective Service registration status. To register, fill out the form available in United States post offices and US embassies or on the Selective Service website (https://www.sss.gov/register/). You may also simply check the box for Selective Service registration on the Federal Student Financial Aid (FAFSA) application form.
In 2017, Congress directed the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service to developed recommendations on whether to retain the Selective Service System, and if so, whether to make it gender-neutral. The National Commission's report is due September 2020, and major changes to the system would require further action by Congress. For now, the Selective Service System remains in effect. FOR INDIVIDUALS ASSIGNED FEMALE AT BIRTHPeople who were assigned female at birth are not required to register with the Selective Service regardless of their current gender or transition status. When applying for federal financial aid, grants, and loans as a man, however, you may be asked to prove that you are exempt. To request a Status Information Letter (SIL) that shows you are exempt, you can either download an SIL request form from the Selective Service website (https://www.sss.gov/verify/) or call them at 1-888-655-1825. Applying for a Status Information Letter is free of charge. While the SIL request form has a specific section for transgender people (and uses some inappropriate terminology), actual Status Information Letters issued by the Selective Service System do not specify why you are exempt, so it will not force you to out yourself in any other application process. The Selective Service does, however, require a copy of your birth certificate showing your birth-assigned sex. If the sex on your birth certificate has been changed, attach any documentation you have to that affect. Once you receive your Status Information Letter, keep it in your files. For those who transition before their eighteenth birthdays and change their birth certificates, it is also possible to register with the service. However, registration is not required at present for anyone assigned female at birth, and no one may register after their twenty-sixth birthday. FOR INDIVIDUALS ASSIGNED MALE AT BIRTHPeople who were assigned male at birth are required to register with the Selective Service within thirty days of their eighteenth birthday. This includes those who may have transitioned before or since then. The Selective Service uses Social Security and other databases to determine who they believe was assigned male at birth. As of now, it is unclear whether transgender people are eligible for military service, but you are required to register nonetheless, and this is necessary to gain access to certain government benefits. According to the Selective Service website, "In the event of a resumption of the draft, individuals born male who have changed their gender to female can file a claim for an exemption from military service if they receive an order to report for examination or induction." (https://www.sss.gov/faq/) NAME CHANGES AND THE SELECTIVE SERVICEPeople who are assigned male at birth and who are required to register are also required to inform the Selective Service of any legal name change or change in other record information such as address up until your twenty-sixth birthday. This does not include change of gender as the Selective Service policy is entirely based on birth-assigned sex. For trans women and others who were assigned male at birth and have registered with the Selective Service, notification of a name change is legally required within ten days. To update your records, fill out the Change Of Information Form attached to the Registration Acknowledgement Card with your new name. Alternatively, you can fill out a Change of Information Form called SSS Form 2, which you can obtain at any United States Post Office or U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad. You may also change your information with the Selective Service by letter. In the letter, include your full name, Social Security Number, Selective Service Number, date of birth, current mailing address and new name. With any of these three methods, you must attach official documentation of your name change and mail it to the Selective Service. Updates take four to six weeks, after which you will be mailed a new acknowledgement card. People who are required to register:
People who are NOT required to register:
For more information, consult the United States Selective Service System website at www.sss.gov and the Status Information Letter request form at https://www.sss.gov/verify/sil/. What required men to register for military service?The Draft. A draft is the mandatory enrollment of individuals into the armed forces. The United States military has been all-volunteer since 1973. But an act of Congress could still reinstate the draft in case of a national emergency.
Which age group of males is required to register with the Selective Service System?Almost all male US citizens and male immigrants, who are 18 through 25, are required to register with Selective Service. It's important to know that even though he is registered, a man will not automatically be inducted into the military.
What did the Selective Service Act mean for the US Army apex?The act required all men in the U.S. between the ages of 21 and 30 to register for military service. Within a few months, some 10 million men across the country had registered in response to the military draft.
What is the purpose of the Selective Service Brainly?Fairness and Equity. By registering all eligible men, Selective Service ensures a fair and equitable draft, if ever required. Exemptions and deferments apply only in the event of a draft.
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