US military draft 2026? Here's what we know so far

LOS ANGELES - Concerns over a return to the military draft reached the White House earlier this week as officials addressed the escalating conflict in Iran. 

While the administration emphasizes its current focus on an air campaign, the refusal to explicitly take a draft off the table has sparked a national debate over the future of the military.

What they're saying:

During an appearance on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures" on March 8, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked directly about mothers' fears regarding a draft. 

She responded that President Donald Trump "does not remove options off of the table," though she clarified that ground troops are not part of the "current plan." 

"Mothers out there are worried that we're gonna have a draft, that they're going to see their sons and daughters get involved in this," Maria Bartiromo said during the interview with Leavitt.

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Dig deeper:

Currently, federal law requires nearly all male U.S. citizens and immigrants aged 18 to 25 to register with the Selective Service. However, the authority to actually induct personnel expired in 1973. 

For a draft to return, Congress would need to pass new legislation to amend the Military Selective Service Act. 

Under the War Powers Act of 1973, the president can authorize short-term military actions, but sustained deployment or a draft requires formal congressional authorization.

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 Failure to register is classified as a felony and comes with a host of legal challenges. 

Why you should care:

Almost all men who are 18-25 years old and live in the U.S. must register for Selective Service. This includes:

• U.S. citizens (U.S. born, dual citizens, and naturalized)
• U.S. citizens who live outside the country
• Immigrants (legal permanent residents and undocumented immigrants)
• Refugees and asylum seekers
• Transgender people who were assigned male gender at birth
• People with disabilities

If you are a military veteran or a military reservist, you are still required to register with Selective Service. However, if you served in the Armed Forces and are 26 or older, but failed to register, your DD Form 214 is evidence that your failure to register was not knowing and willful. Learn more here.

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Several groups are exempt from registering, such as those currently on active duty, some disabled persons and those who are incarcerated. Conscientious objectors are required to register. A conscientious objector is one who is opposed to serving in the armed forces and/or bearing arms on the grounds of moral or religious principles.

If you served on active duty and were discharged before your 26th birthday, you still have to register.

If you are 26 or older, it's too late to register.

You can see the Selective Service's full list of requirements here.

Are women eligible to register for the draft?

The law currently requires that only men register with Selective Service. In the event that the law is changed to include registering women, "Selective Service is prepared to expand registration," the website reads.

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If implemented, how would the draft work?

According to the Selective Service, the draft, if implemented, would have similarities to that of the Vietnam War. 

That means the Selective Service would most likely hold a draft lottery based on dates of birth. The number 1 would correspond to Jan. 1, 15 to Jan. 15, etc. Officials would draw numbers similar to drawing numbers for a lottery. If your birthdate is the first one drawn, you are the first to be drafted.

According to the Selective Service, if a draft were held today, those who are 20 years old — or turning 20 during the year in which the numbers are drawn — would be the first to go. Beginning Jan. 1 of the year an eligible male turns 21, he would drop into the second priority category, and men born the following year would move into the priority group one. Each succeeding year, a draft eligible man drops into the next lower priority group until he has reached his 26th birthday, at which time he is over the age of liability for the draft.

If you're drafted, will you automatically go to combat?

It's important to note that even though someone is registered, and their number is called, they may not be inducted automatically into the military. They may be eligible for a deferment; categories might include married persons or college students.

You may also be excluded for medical or psychological reasons, may declare yourself to be a conscientious objector, or may even be able to enlist in a specific branch or career field to avoid combat duty.

In the event a national emergency requires a draft, the Selective Service has protocol in place for when that happens.

First, the president and Congress would need to authorize the draft. Then, Selective Service activates and orders all personnel to report for duty. Afterward, a publicly attended, nationally televised and live-streamed lottery is conducted. You can learn more about the process here.

What we don't know:

The administration has not defined what constitutes the "very good reason" that would trigger a shift from an air campaign to ground troops. 

It's unclear if a proposal to reinstate the draft would gain the necessary momentum to reach a vote in the current Congress.