I was subject to draft. Some observations: [View All]

[trof]

In 1959 I celebrated my 18th birthday and went down to the post office and registered for Selective Service, the draft. The following month I started college and received a deferment.

What followed was a complicated story that I won't take up space with here, but eventually I lost my college deferment. This led to my joining the air national guard (in order to avoid the draft), getting my pilot's wings, and a 30+ career as an airline pilot.

Viet Nam wasn't a concern yet. That would come a little later. Anyway, I'm fairly sure that without the impetus of the draft I would never have seen the inside of the cockpit of a 747.

So...the draft was a great recruiting tool for the guard and reserves.
Since you could only be drafted into the army, it was also a good recruiting tool for navy, air force, coast guard, and maybe even marines.

In all branches of active service it tended to bring in guys (the draft only applied to men) from much more diverse backgrounds. It made a much wider talent pool available. Some who would have never considered voluntarily joining the military found they liked the life and work and remained for careers.

Call me an old mossback, but I've never been comfortable with the all-volunteer concept. Actually, I'd be in favor for some kind of volunteer service, for a year or two, for all 18 years olds. I'm sure I'll take some heat for that. I just know that in my case I was not ready for college at 18. I didn't have the sense or maturity to have a clue about what I should be doing or even what I wanted to do. I actually dropped out to join the guard. When I returned a year and a half later I had a much clearer idea of what I wanted and where I was going. The military forced me to take my first serious look at life, responsibility, and consequences for my actions.

Bottom line is, the draft was just another fact of life. You lived with it and adjusted to it as you were able to or as your circumstances might change.