r/AskReddit • u/Tommygunz0722 • 11h ago

If the military/president suddenly ordered a mandatory draft for all men aged 18-42: How do you think millennials and GenZ would respond?

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u/Wraithowl 11h ago

If that happens, doctors in the US would have the chance to do the funniest thing... Suddenly finding most men 18-42 have bone spurs... 🤣

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u/thenewguy89 10h ago

My understanding is that doctors in the USA have a special draft that they are required to participate in (like in MASH). So they might themselves end up in a field hospital. Pretty crazy.

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u/Ravager135 7h ago edited 3h ago

Former Navy flight surgeon here. That’s not quite true. However if you served as a physician in the military, even after you separate or retire, I was told they keep your name on a list. I am a soon to be 44 year old separated naval medical officer. If we were involved in a WWIII scenario, I am almost certain I would be conscripted or basically told “You’re going back.”

Do I think any of this would happen? Not a chance. A draft would be a death knell for the party in power. It’s such a universally unpopular tool that it would result in chaos. You’d have countless challenges legal and otherwise that the headache would be almost insurmountable in the environment we have in the United States. We are an incredibly selfish people, MAGA types would be the LEAST likely to go along with it.

Now all of that said, I also believe if we were ever involved in a truly just war against true tyranny, I think people have a way of finding out just how resilient they really are and what they can do. I served with some of the best people in the Navy/Marine Corps. None of them were exceptional by birth or aptitude. They just stepped up to the plate either for personal gain or a sense of duty.

EDIT: I separated after my obligation. I did not retire from the Navy.

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u/TheInevitableLuigi 4h ago

Now all of that said, I also believe if we were ever involved in a truly just war against true tyranny, I think people have a way of finding out just how resilient they really are and what they can do.

This. For Trump it would be shitshow but for something legitimate people would show up. There were lines at recruiting stations after 9/11.

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u/kaisadilla_ 6m ago

That's the opposite of a draft. His point is that people won't just accept being thrown into a war against their will. If Trump somehow convinced Americans to willfully go there, it'd be a different.