Many Americans have grown increasingly concerned with the idea of a military draft as global conflicts are getting worse.
A particular article from the Mises Institute, titled “The US Military Is Laying the Groundwork to Reinstitute the Draft,” has circulated online, contributing to these apprehensions. The article argues that a draft might become necessary in the event the United States became involved in a large-scale conflict due to the projected casualties far outweighing the current size of the US military.
However, the author also acknowledges the US’s lack of interest in engaging in such global conflicts. The article’s misleading title has triggered unwarranted fears of an imminent draft among many Americans.
Timothy James, an American social media influencer on TikTok and self-proclaimed expert in quantitative economics, global affairs and military topics, posted a video on Sept. 19 about a possible World War III draft. He used an article from the AirForce Times to argue that a draft will be established for both women and men because of low recruitment in almost all branches of the US military.
While it is true that recruitment has been lower than it has in recent years, this does not mean that these trends will bring about the reinstatement of a draft. US military officials have confirmed that there are no intentions to reintroduce a “mandatory conscription.”
Nicole Schwegman, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, stated clear in a phone interview that there have been no requests to Congress or the President to re-instate a draft. The articles causing alarm are the opinions of people unrelated to the Department of Defense or the U.S. government, and therefore are not completely factual.
A similar situation occurred in Jan. 2020, following increased tensions between the US and Iran. Fake text messages were sent at random to thousands of Americans, reading “You’ve been marked eligible and must come to the nearest recruitment branch in Jacksonville, Florida for immediate departure to Iran.”
The US Army soon released an official statement after receiving many panicked phone calls: “U.S. Army Recruiting Command has received multiple calls and emails about these fake text messages and wants to ensure Americans understand these texts are false and were not initiated by this command or the U.S. Army.”
