Compulsory Military Service Debate Intensifies Amid U.S. Election Campaign

24 June, 2024 U.S. military. Photo from open sources In the United States, the issue of compulsory military service has suddenly become the focus of the election campaign.

The issue was raised by Christopher Miller, former Acting Secretary of Defense and a member of Donald Trump's Administration. Miller suggested that some form of compulsory service should be a way for the United States to prepare for "major wars." Currently, the U.S. armed forces have been manned on a contract basis since 1973, when compulsory service was abolished, but in case it is reinstated, the Department of Defense maintains a permanent military registration of men aged 18 to 25, both U.S. citizens and resident permit holders.

U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump called the idea of reinstating the draft law "completely wrong."

Christopher Miller. Photo credits: Pentagon

Despite Trump's objections, other Republicans have also come out in support of mandatory service. Senator James David Vance said he supports a form of national service and said more Americans should have "some skin in the game."

Former Trump Department of Defense official Rob Hood said that mandatory service should be part of a reciprocal relationship between citizens and the government. "Who gave them their social security number? The United States government.

There can be the takers and there can be the givers, and once we're all a bunch of takers and there are no givers, this country will collapse," Rob Hood said. In the United States, a bill on automatic military registration for men aged 18-26 has recently been approved by the U.S. House of Representatives.

U.S. military.

Photo credits: images.csmonitor.com

On June 14, a corresponding amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2025 was passed. According to this amendment, all male residents of the United States of military age will be automatically registered in the Selective Service System for possible military service based on information from other federal databases. The United States also plans to start registering women for military service.

The United States has repeatedly tried to introduce women's registration for military service, but such initiatives have been recognized as unconstitutional.