Question about the draft

Every time I mention to a young person; they say that they can't be drafted because of %%((*)_*((_+
What medical conditions/illnesses we'll keep kids out of the draft?

football. I would think he wouldn't be drafted, seeing how old Limbaugh avoided the draft for an ingrown hair follicle on his butt..

Jack Kemp: did not serve. "Knee problem," although continued in NFL for 8 years.

I would imagine that medical conditions like Type 1 diabetes and Epilepsy would exempt you. I had cousins who served in Vietnam. One of them did not see combat because of bad eyesight. He was a cook. I hope someone who has served can answer more clearly.

Some specialties have lighter requirements than others. Of course, most of those are nice work if you can get it. If you've ever seen a unit that was about 75% female (they make up about 12% of the total force), you get my drift. If you have a dick and an GT score under 140, you can forget about most of the really interesting jobs.

My husband's commander was sent home after his blood work showed "likelihood" of Type II Diabetes. There may have been other things that added to it, but I think that is what got that ball rolling.

and computer science. Grunts will need to be reasonably healthy, but the two specialties they need the most will probably have few physical exceptions.

I have a nephew that's color blind and another loved one who is somewhat learning disabled and nearly illiterate, but able bodied and smart in other areas besides letters.

See a lot of posts here about how a draft is just around the corner, but they don't seem credible to me. The only politicians pushing it are people like Rangel who seems to being doing it for political reasons.

Periodically I read something about the Selective Service System doing studies of this or that. To me that seems to be normal contingency planning. What else are they going to do?

I did see a very interesting post here earlier today that in part pointed out that with a draft, resistance to going to war greatly increases, a reasonable conclusion. This maybe Rangel's intent.

I have also read elsewhere that the armed forces do not want a draft since it leads to major discipline problems and the current military infrastructure and training is all based around people who basically want to be there. Again a reasonable conclusion.

My current take is that it would take something cataclysmic to restart a draft, and that the national debate would be long and loud. It certainly is not around the corner.

As for medical issues, there are a number that were historically used. At a macro level they all revolved around fitness for service kind of things. Heart murmurs, asthma, horrible eyesight, deafness, serious mental defect, very high blood pressure, diabetes, chronic back or knee issues, and the like used to DQ you. A key aspect of the military was the walking blood bank so permanent blood born disease was also a down check. Then of course there was homosexuality. Things have changed in the 30 or so years since they last drew number and rated people. Not sure what the rules would be today. If don't ask-don't tell were to remain in force, getting dropped would be more than easy.

Seriously, back in the day asthma was an automatic disqualiication. Today, asthma is so prevelent that the regular army takes volunteers with asthma, so draftees with asthma definitely won't be disqualified.

The Army is preparing to send a veteran who lost his leg back into active duty in the Iraq combat zone.

They'll take almost anybody now. I further expect them to up the age limit to 45 once they get the draft rolling.

At least during Vietnam, when a certain talk show host was deferred because of a pilo nidal cyst.