By Shaniah Taylor

For most of us, the possibility of being sent off to war feels impossible – so many steps would have to happen first. The United States is privileged enough not to be engaged in active warfare. Instead, some would argue, the country causes insurgencies overseas, making other people’s reality much different from ours over things like oil, so we can have lower gas prices. The likelihood of being sent to war becomes a little more real when you consider that the U.S. military has had a near record low number of active personnel since 1940, and the number has been shrinking since the end of the Cold War. After the Vietnam War it seems young people just are not willing to die for their country. Rather – if they have the choice – they choose other careers or pursue education without putting their lives at risk.

With no active enemy threatening Americans, it is harder for the U.S. government to justify a large increase in recruits or to stoke patriotism. So, the government has turned to social media. Now we have military vloggers, “day in the life of a soldier” videos, military workout routines and memes that soften what the job really is – making it seem like a fun boot camp with friends. Military propaganda has been seeping into our lives in very small ways. The government is getting comfortable – not so comfortable that a draft will be here tomorrow – but it seems some Americans may be warming up to the idea.

Recently, news has spread about the new automatic military draft registration. To be clear, this policy is not necessarily new. Since 1980, young men have been required to sign up for the Selective Service (where the draft is pulled from) within 30 days of their 18th birthday or face fines, imprisonment or a felony charge. The new policy, mandated by the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act signed by President Trump in December 2025, says men ages 18 to 25 will be automatically registered starting in December 2026 instead of having to do this themselves. Democrats and Republicans have agreed that this would be helpful as it saves the government money and saves these men time, removing responsibility from these 18-year-olds. All in all, this was created to make it easier for men to follow the law.

But why now? The government has not taken similar steps to make registering to vote automatic. In fact, policies are being put in place to make voting harder, including removing polling places, which makes it more difficult for young people or the underprivileged to vote. Laws and bills are usually a product of their time. Things must happen to cause one of them to be put in place. We are past the point where people wake up with ideas for laws that have never been considered before. Why is it important right now to make it easier for people to sign up for the draft?

Even though it is the law to register for the Selective Service, compliance rates have been dropping – to 81 percent in 2024 – and many people are not being penalized. To many, this seems like the U.S. is becoming draft ready.

In March 2026, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt refused to dismiss the idea of a draft.

“It is not part of the current plan right now,” she said on Fox News, “but the president, again, wisely keeps his options on the table.”

The draft is incredibly unpopular and has not been active since 1973 during the Vietnam War. While it is unlikely to return because of how citizens would react – if the people seem too complacent, what is truly stopping the government from calling a draft?

There is not much to be done about automatic draft registration – the policy is already law. But I encourage you to remember: If you see an injustice or your government doing something you do not approve of, you can call your local representatives. You can and should protest. The U.S. government must know that we will not sit idly by while it pursues extremely unpopular policies.

This draft registration proposal was approved months ago and likely has little to do with the recent tensions with Iran. But consider what else has happened. In September 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14347, authorizing the Department of Defense to be known by the secondary title “Department of War.” While Congress has not changed the legal name, the message is clear: This administration wants the world to see us as a nation ready for war, not just defense. When you also listen to Trump’s fiery statements about military action, a draft no longer sounds so outlandish.