US Army, Selective Service Warning Of Misinformation Campaign About Reinstating The Draft
DENTON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - The U.S. Army Recruiting Command and the Selective Service System are warning people not to believe rumors of an upcoming military draft.
Some Americans have even been getting spam texts saying they've been selected for it.
"The rumors about a possible draft have just exploded," said University of North Texas Regents Professor of Political Science James Meernik.
With concerns about the possibility of a new war in the Middle East, "World War III" started trending on social media and misinformation spread like wildfire.
Students on UNT's campus say they've seen growing fears online about an upcoming military draft.
"There's tons of people who are extremely concerned about it," said UNT student Rolando Bosquez.
All men from 18 to 25 years old are required to register with the Selective Service System, and they have been for decades.
"The Selective Service System that we have just puts young men's names in a database," Meernik said. "There is no draft."
It's unlikely there will be one anytime soon. Congress would have to pass legislation reinstating the draft and the president would have to sign in.
"You'd have to get Republicans and Democrats, President Trump, Nancy Pelosi, and Mitch McConnell to all agree on something like this, and frankly I don't see it happening," said Meernik.
While people don't need to worry about a potential draft, Meernik says they should be concerned about what happens next in the Middle East.
"The different ways that Iran has to attack us militarily, though its own resources or through these other militias and armies it supports, or even through cyber warfare, is still pretty significant," he said. "So I don't think we're out of the woods yet."
Right now, military recruiting operations are going forward as normal. The military is an all-volunteer force, with about 1.2 million active duty troops.
