LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Starting this December, young men ages 18 to 25 will no longer have to register for the military draft manually, as the federal government will register them automatically.
The Selective Service System, the government organization that maintains a database of men eligible to serve the country in a national emergency, is undergoing this change. The proposed change is currently awaiting finalization by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
Most men, whether they are citizens or not, will be automatically registered. For decades, the process was done manually. Failure to register has been a felony punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and up to five years in prison.
"You get the notice in the mail, 'Hey, you gotta do this or else,'" student Cade Spurlock said.
At the University of Kentucky, draft-eligible students have mixed feelings about the updated system.
"You don't really have a say in it," Daniel Schultz said. "My father fought for this. My great grandfather fought in World War Two, Vietnam and the Korean War. So carrying on that legacy would be huge for me."
Congressman Andy Barr's office noted that there has been misinformation about the news and clarified that the update does not authorize a draft.
In a statement released to LEX 18 News, Barr's office said the move is simply "shifting registration from individuals to the federal government."
The statement added that it only changes who handles the paperwork. Barr voted in support of the National Defense Authorization Act, which includes this provision.
"It just means if there was ever a chance we went into a draft, you have the chance of being selected," Schultz said.
Congress and the president would have to approve a draft, which has not happened since the Vietnam War. However, with current international tension, eligible men are not ruling out any options.
"Just like looking at Trump's Twitter, you don't know what could happen tomorrow," student Prescott Baer said. "10 years from now, I don't know what this country will look like."
