If you're disabled, can they draft you?

Soon I hope my physical disabilities will be mostly taken care of. I'll still have diabetes, though.

However, I was originally put on SSI Disability because of mental illness: Major Depression, OCD, PTSD. There is still such stigma attached to these diseases that I don't mention them when I say I'm on disability. People tend to understand physical maladies, but they don't "get" Depression, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

They wouldn't try drafting someone like me, would they? That would be crazy. However, we are dealing with crazy people. I've seen the pictures of old grandpa types in Iraq...now that's crazy!

have to go to war themselves.

They would not take you on your mental instability on its own. I do not mean that it in an offensive way but the SSI Disability would rule you out.

I have these problems. They're real. Denying them would be crazy. In fact, the craziest people are those who don't know they have problems.

The PTSD by itself would make it impossible for me to function in a war zone. I had a verbal argument with the husband of the apartment manager on Tuesday and for a moment I thought he was going to hit me. Afterward I laid in bed, crying and shaking, for several hours. I'm definitely not ready for prime time. :)

they change all the rules.

During WW II, they drafted my father-in-law despite his high blood pressure. They actually had him lie down and kept checking his BP until it was low enough to pronounce him fit to serve! And he was married and had one child already so he wasn't the ideal candidate for the draft.

OTOH, flat feet will keep you out. Also during WW II, one of my uncles was healthy and single and went to several recruiting offices trying to join up, but his feet were too flat.

4F was the reject class, 1A was you were on your way. When the Government started to classify people in 1941 they made a lot of people 4F in 1941. Come the troops shortage of 1944 the Army went through those list and "reviewed" them and made a lot of 4Fs to 1As. These ended up replacements on the line in Europe in late 1944 into 1945 and had a terrible survival record (as did most replacements on the line).

For more on the draft see:
http://www.sss.gov/classif.htm
http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/wars/a/draft2_3.htm


Draft Board Classifications
The following is a list of Selective Service classifications
that could be assigned by draft boards (This is a mix of both "Current" and "Historical" classification. Over the history of Selective Service the most of the classes have been constant but there have been some changes:

Classification

CLASS I

I-A Available for military service

I-A-0 Conscientious objector available for noncombatant military service only

I-C Member of the armed forces of the U.S., the Coast and Geodetic Survey, or the Public Health Service

I-D Member of reserve component or student taking military training

I-H Registrant not currently subject to processing for induction

I-0 Conscientious objector available for civilian work contributing to the maintenance of the national health, safety, or interest

I-S Student deferred by statute (High School)

1-SC. It meant that you had exactly six months to get your affairs in order before you would be drafted (Abolished during Vietnam with most student Deferments).

I-Y Registrant available for military service, but qualified for military only in the event of war or national emergency

I-W Conscientious objector performing civilian work contributing to the maintenance of the national health, safety, or interest

CLASS II - Exempt "Deferred" personal

II-A Registrant deferred because of civilian occupation (except agriculture or activity in study)

II-C Registrant deferred because of agricultural occupation

II-D Registrant deferred because of study preparing for the ministry

II-S Registrant deferred because of activity in study

Class III - Hardship

III-A Registrant with a child or children; registrant deferred by reason of extreme hardship to dependents

Class IV - Not Subject to Draft

IV-A Registrant who has completed service; sole surviving son

IV-B Official deferred by law

IV-C Alien

IV-D Minister of religion or divinity student

IV-F Registrant not qualified for any military service

IV-G Registrant exempt from service during peace (surviving son or brother)

IV-W Conscientious objector who has completed alternate service contributing to the maintenance of the national health, safety, or interest in lieu of induction into the Armed Forces of the United States

Class V - Other

V-A Registrant over the age of liability for military service (This was apparently used starting in WWII to provide men with a "Draft Card" to show they did not have to register. Remember Under the Selective Service Act EVERY male between 18 and 35 had to register AND CARRY THEIR DRAFT CARD WITH THEM. Non-possession of the Draft Card subjected you to arrest. If you were male and a Police Officer thought you were between age 18 and 35 the burden was on you to show you were OVER the age to be Drafted. A lot of people did NOT have driver's licenses OR birth Certificates or other ID prior to or during WWII, the Draft Card was one of the first Universal IDs and used as such till the Vietnam War. Thus this classification. Please Note when registration was renewed under Carter the law was changed and the Draft Card was abolished so men born after 1957 were NOT issued Draft Cards).

Right now, all I care for is a job so I can pay my bills and debt and do the right thing. I'm confining my mindset to reality. Nothing more.

Military service is not viable for me because of certain conditions, but I have others they have spoken of in the past.

If there is a draft and I'm selected, I'm caught between a rock and a hard place.

Reality is disturbing. I can no longer life in my fantasy world. Survival is looking beyond fantasy into coping with reality as none of us can change a thing.

They'd be crazy to draft you, too. You'd just have to refuse, as I would.

BTW, I've really come to respect you, sir. I very much enjoy your posts. :) :) :) :)

You would fail the physical. As an Army veteran, I do feel that a draft is coming, because Bush isn't through with starting wars. His rating in the polls is down to what, 43%, which means he needs another 9-11 real quick.

The enemy will run if they knew what we were up to that.

didn't help that our doctor's letters were dated after we became 1-A. I think you are safe.

I don't want my nephew drafted. :(

to be in the military you have to be capable of being deployed anywhere in the world. In many places of the world your problems could not be treated. My wife and I met while we where in the Army. Both of us served our time and got out. We had two children and than tried to get back into the Army. The Army would not let the both of us join since having children would make it a hardship if both of us had to be deployed. What pissed me off was the Army recruiter said if you give up your kids for adoption than both of you can join. I than joined the Air Force and served twenty more years.

I still say that I would like to see how they plan to enforce this. There aren't even enough competent, able-bodied troops in the US right now to establish a sizeable presence on main street in the downtown districts of the top 50 largest US cities. How are they going to send troops to every draftee's household, and how are they going to take the ones who fight back?

A lot of people are freaking out about this. I'm not suggesting they shouldn't be at least somewhat concerned, but I don't think it's going to pan out anywhere near as well as the BFEE is planning. Besides, this Schiavo debacle has taken out a HUGE chunk of Dubya's and the GOP's political capital. Their momentum towards nuking the filibuster and packing the courts has been thwarted, by none other than the courts themselves.

is. They take the fittest first, then the next fittest, then the next, etc. Then there are those whom they will not take at all because of disabilities or whatnot. If you are deaf in one ear, for example, I don't think they'll take you.

If you are on SSI, then you have a recognized disability.

Is everyone in the US going to be required to take a physical... Doubt it...

to show up at the military bases for physicals. Yep. That's how it's done.

I CAN'T be the only one old enough to remember that from Vietnam! (Plus, I've seen it in the movies. Did you ever see the movie, "Yours, Mine, and Ours" with Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball? The oldest son was Tim Matheson. He got a letter from Uncle Sam that said, "Greetings." It was his notice to go for a physical, along with many other young men, to be examined for the draft.)

excluded if you had a disability. You brought your medical records or other proof of disability with you. At the exam, or afterwards, you were ranked A-1 down to F-4 or something. A-1? Pack your bags, son! F-4? Register for college.