Would your draft number have been called? (2024)

FAQs

What happened if your draft number was called? ›

On Dec. 1, 1969, the United States held its first draft lottery, which gave young men a random number corresponding to their birthdays. Men with lower numbers were called first and told to report to induction centers where they could be ordered into active duty and possibly sent to the Vietnam War.

Draft-age men were assigned a number between one and 366, depending on their birthday. The lowest numbers were called first. This was all entirely at random. Of course, that didn't stop some of those who were called to service from further avoiding Selective Service.

The draft lottery was based on birth dates. There were 366 blue plastic capsules containing birth dates (including February 29) placed into a glass container. The capsules were drawn by hand, opened one by one, and then assigned to a sequence from 1 until 366.

The APN (highest number) called for a physical was 215 for tables 1970 through 1976. The last draft call was on December 7, 1972, and the authority to induct expired on June 30, 1973.

Asthma, mental health issues and ADHD top the list of maladies that keep the recruiters at bay, says Mission: Readiness. Even those who currently serve can have health-related issues that keep them from deploying, such as dental problems and recurring injuries.

Draft dodging penalties: felony punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and/or 5 years imprisonment. Actually once drafted you become a member of the military and can be punished by military courts. You could be arrested and charged with a criminal offense.

Visit the Selective Service verify registration page to: Use the search tool to find your Selective Service number. Download an acknowledgment letter verifying your registration.

If required to register with Selective Service, failure to register is a felony punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and/or 5 years imprisonment. Also, a person who knowingly counsels, aids, or abets another to fail to comply with the registration requirement is subject to the same penalties.

While the draft ended after the Vietnam War when the U.S. moved to the current all-volunteer military, the Selective Service System remains in place if needed to maintain national security. The mandatory registration of all male civilians aged 18 to 25 ensures that the draft can quickly be resumed if needed.

At what age can you no longer be drafted? Once you're 26, you're exempt from being drafted ... kind of. "There's historical precedent for extending that age," Winkie says before noting that in August 1918, during World War I, the age limit was amended to 45.

How is the number 1 draft pick decided? ›

Assigning Draft Picks

The order of selection is determined by the reverse order of finish in the previous season. Barring any trades between clubs, each round starts with the team that finished with the worst record and ends with the Super Bowl champions.

On December 1, 1969, the Selective Service System of the United States conducted two lotteries to determine the order of call to military service in the Vietnam War in the year 1970, for men born from January 1, 1944, to December 31, 1950.

Fixing the final 1972 lottery ceiling at 95 “assures almost three‐fourths of the men who faced induction during 1972 that they will not be called this year,” the Selective Service said. Last year's draft reached lottery No. 125.

On September 16, 1940, the United States instituted the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, which required all men between the ages of 21 and 45 to register for the draft. This was the first peacetime draft in United States' history.

From a pool of approximately 27 million, the draft raised 2,215,000 men for military service (in the United States, South Vietnam, and elsewhere) during the Vietnam War era.

If required to register with Selective Service, failure to register is a felony punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and/or 5 years imprisonment. Also, a person who knowingly counsels, aids, or abets another to fail to comply with the registration requirement is subject to the same penalties.

If you get a draft notice, show up, and refuse induction, you'll probably be prosecuted. However, some people will slip through the cracks in the system, and some will win in court. If you show up and take the physical, there's a good chance that you'll flunk.

There are consequences if you fail to register with Selective Service. It is a federal felony, punishable by fines or a prison sentence. Failing to register also makes you unable to: Apply for student financial aid.