US to automatically register eligible men for military draft pool from December

TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say The US last implemented conscription during the early 1970s at the height of the deeply contentious Vietnam War.While there has been no active draft since, men aged 18 to 25 have still been required to register with the Selective Service System in case conscription is reinstated.The agency said the change simply streamlines the existing process as part of a “workforce realignment.Efforts to expand draft registration to include women have been proposed in recent years, but none have passed into law.Men who fail to register currently face penalties including fines of up to 250,000, prison sentences of up to five years, and disqualification from federal programmes.The move comes as the White House has declined to rule out conscription amid the ongoing conflict in Iran.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Sunday: “President Trump wisely does not remove options off of the table. I know a lot of politicians like to do that quickly,”US NEWS - READ THE LATEST:Small plane ploughs into US home after veering off airport runwayJustin Thomas hits first hole-in-one at Masters Par 3 and slyly hints at winning big bet‘Iran begged for a ceasefire!’ Pete Hegseth says Donald Trump ‘chose mercy’ with two-week truceMr Trump has publicly downplayed the prospect of deploying ground forces, saying he would only do so “if necessary” and that it would be a “waste of time.”However, reports suggest the President has privately shown “serious interest” in sending troops on the ground.“It’s not part of the current plan right now, but the President, again, wisely keeps his options on the table,” Mrs Leavitt repeated.She added that Mr Trump “wants to continue to assess the success of this military operation” before making a decision on ground forces.Fox News host Maria Bartiromo told the senior White House official that “mothers are worried” their sons could be sent to war through a draft.Polling over several decades has shown strong opposition among Americans to conscription.The sentiment is believed to be shaped in part by the legacy of the Vietnam War and a preference for a professional volunteer military.Any move to reinstate the draft would require approval from Congress, including changes to the Military Selective Service Act.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter