STANDARDS

Common Core: RH.6-8.1, RH.6-8.2, RH.6-8.4, RH.6-8.6, RH.6-8.8, WHST.6-8.1, RI.6-8.1, RI.6-8.2, RI.6-8.4, RI.6-8.6, RI.6-8.8, RI.6-8.10, W.6-8.1, SL.6-8.1

NCSS: Power, Authority, and Governance • Civic Ideals and Practices

DEBATE IT!

Expert vs. Expert

Should Women Have to Register for the Draft?

March 2022

Today, women in the military can take part in special missions and lead soldiers into battle. But if the U.S. suddenly needed a massive number of combat troops, women wouldn’t be forced to serve. Only men ages 18 to 25 must register for the draft—the system for selecting people who must serve in the armed forces.

The U.S. military has been an all-volunteer force since 1973, and there are no current plans to revive the draft. Yet if the U.S. faced a grave threat, the draft could return. The Supreme Court ruled in 1981 that only men could be drafted. At the time, women weren’t allowed to fight on the front lines, so drafting them made little sense. But in 2015, the U.S. opened combat roles to women.

Now some people say women should also be required to register for the draft. They argue that female troops have proved that they’re just as capable as their male counterparts.

But others disagree. They point out that most women in the military still serve in support roles, such as medics and pilots—not in combat. Drafted troops would need to be capable of fighting on the front lines, performing tasks that many women couldn’t physically handle, opponents say.

Should women have to register for the draft? Two experts weigh in.

YES

The requirement that men but not women register for the draft is one of the last examples of sex discrimination written into U.S. law. It’s time for that to change.

Requiring only men to register for the draft is sex discrimination.

Library of Congress

This poster was first used in 1917 to recruit men to fight in World War I.

We support ending the draft altogether. But as long as the government requires young people to register, the rule should apply to everyone. Limiting draft registration to men prevents women from fully participating in civic life. It sends a message that women are unqualified to serve in the military, regardless of individual capabilities and preferences. It also reflects an outdated view that, in the event of a draft, women’s primary duty would be on the home front.

In 1981, the Supreme Court upheld men-only registration for the draft, arguing that it made sense because women were not allowed to serve in combat. Now that women are eligible to serve in combat roles, the sole justification for this practice has evaporated into thin air. Indeed, limiting draft registration to men devalues the many contributions of women who serve in the U.S. military.

It’s simple: Either all young people should be required to register for the draft regardless of sex—or no one should.

—Ria Tabacco Mar
Director, Women’s Rights Project, ACLU

NO

The draft is about national security in a time of catastrophic emergency. It’s not about women’s rights. Our current draft system serves as a backup to our all-volunteer military. If there were a devastating attack on our country, more soldiers might be needed to fight on the front lines.

Many women simply aren’t physically capable of fighting on the front lines.

But if Congress approves legislation to register women for the draft, any call for draftees would have to include men and women in equal numbers. That would be counterproductive. After all, the purpose of the draft is to replace troops killed or wounded in battle as quickly as possible—not to locate and train support troops. If women were included in the draft, the military would have to spend its already scarce time and resources to evaluate and train thousands of women just to find the small percentage who might be qualified for fighting units. Even though some women might qualify, the fact remains that most women cannot meet the physical standards for combat units.

Instead of concentrating on men who can be rapidly trained to fight, a draft that included women would simply jam up the process. It would weaken our armed forces at the worst time, not strengthen them.

—Elaine Donnelly
President, Center for Military Readiness

SKILL SPOTLIGHT: Evaluating Arguments

How does each author support her claims? Cite two reasons each author gives. Then decide who you think makes the stronger argument. Write a brief explanation for that choice. Include details from the text in your answer.