Military draft pool starting in December Eligible men between 18-25 will now be automatically registered into the Selective Service System, a change from the previous mandate of self-registration NEED TO KNOW Automatic registration for the U.S. military draft pool will begin in December Eligible men between the ages of 18-25 were previously required to self-register into the Selective Service System, but registration will now be automatic The U.S.
Military draft pool starting in December
Military draft pool starting in December
Eligible men between 18-25 will now be automatically registered into the Selective Service System, a change from the previous mandate of self-registration NEED TO KNOW Automatic registration for the U.S. military draft pool will begin in December Eligible men between the ages of 18-25 were previously required to self-register into the Selective Service System, but registration will now be automatic The U.S. hasn’t had a military draft since 1973, however, questions about the draft have been posed to Trump’s White House amid the ongoing conflict in Iran Eligible men between the ages of 18 and 25 will automatically be registered into the U.S. military draft pool starting in December. This is a change from the pre-existing mandate of self-registration into the Selective Service System (SSS) — the government agency that maintains a database of men to be called up to serve in the case of a national emergency. The SSS website reads, “We are part of America’s National Defense Strategy, fostering deterrence through innovation and supporting the Department of War’s priority to maintain a formidable end-strength that provides America’s all-volunteer force with the overmatch necessary to deter, compete and win in the future.” In December 2025, President Donald Trump signed into law the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act — allocating a $31.3 million budget to the agency — which mandates automatic SSS registration. The change, aimed at saving time and money, “transfers responsibility for registration from individual men to SSS through integration with federal data sources,” according to the website.
However, President Jimmy Carter reinstated the SSS in 1980
The U.S. military has not held a draft since 1973, during the Vietnam War. However, President Jimmy Carter reinstated the SSS in 1980. In the case of a “national emergency,” the registry can be used to “provide personnel to the Department of War and alternative service for conscientious objectors, if authorized by the President and Congress.” While the act mandating automatic draft registration was signed into law months ago, The Hill notes that it is currently pending review by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs and awaiting finalization. President Donald Trump conducts a U.S. Army reenlistment ceremony in Washington, D.C., on June 14, 2025. Andrew Harnik/Getty Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Questions about a possible draft have been posed to the Trump White House since the U.S. and Israel launched their “massive and ongoing military operation” against Iran in late February.
However, President Jimmy Carter reinstated the SSS in 1980
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in March that while a draft is “not
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in March that while a draft is “not
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in March that while a draft is “not part of the current plan right now,” President Trump “wisely keeps his options on the table.” Related Stories Donald Trump Says Americans Will Be ‘Protected’ After Threatening to Kill a ‘Whole Civilization’ in Iran Donald Trump Says Iran War Will End ‘When I Feel It in My Bones’ On April 8, one day after announcing a two-week moratorium on U.S. bombing in Iran, mandated by the “COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump shared an update on the country’s military presence in the Middle East. “All U.S. Ships, Aircraft, and Military Personnel, with additional Ammunition, Weaponry, and anything else that is appropriate and necessary for the lethal prosecution and destruction of an already substantially degraded Enemy, will remain in place in, and around, Iran, until such time as the REAL AGREEMENT reached is fully complied with,” he wrote on Truth Social. “If for any reason it is not, which is highly unlikely, then the ‘Shootin’ Starts,’ bigger, and better, and stronger than anyone has ever seen before,” he continued. “It was agreed, a long time ago, and despite all of the fake rhetoric to the contrary – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS and, the Strait of Hormuz WILL BE OPEN & SAFE. In the meantime our great Military is Loading Up and Resting, looking forward, actually, to its next Conquest. AMERICA IS BACK!”
