With global tensions rising and world leaders warning of escalating conflict, fears of a military draft have returned to the forefront of public conversation. But, if World War III erupts and conscription is reinstated, certain professions may offer a rare shield from the draft.
President Donald Trump – who according to CNN dodged the draft five times in his earlier years – recently dismissed the idea of mandatory enlistment, calling it “a ridiculous idea.”
But for many, that statement offers little reassurance. As headlines echo with warnings of a global war and governments scramble to prepare for worst-case scenarios, the possibility of conscription feels more real than it has in decades.
Putin threatens UK
Since Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened Europe, saying that Moscow is “ready” for war, it feels even more real.
“We’re not going to war with Europe; I’ve said that a hundred times. But if Europe suddenly wants to fight us and starts, we’re ready right now,” Putin said in early December 2025, per CNBC.
‘Conscripting the population’
And the UK is taking those threats seriously.
Over the summer, government released its National Security Strategy, warning that citizens must now prepare for the real possibility of full-scale war unfolding on British soil.
“For the first time in many years, we have to actively prepare for the possibility of the UK homeland coming under direct threat, potentially in a wartime scenario,” the report states. “Greater vigilance in all domains will be essential to continue to deter those who seek to undermine our territorial security.”
“There’s a significant chance that it [war with Russia] might happen so we must be prepared,” Mike Martin, an Afghanistan veteran and the MP for Tunbridge Wells, told the Express. “Obviously, if we get involved in a general war with Russia, we’ll be conscripting the population – there’s no question about that.”
WW2 conscription
If a new draft were authorized, it wouldn’t look exactly like it did in the past, but World War II provides a striking historical reference point.
In 1939, even before Britain had officially entered the war against Nazi Germany, the UK Parliament passed the Military Training Act, mandating that single men aged 20 to 22 undergo six months of training. The day war was declared, Sept. 3, 1939, Parliament passed the National Service (Armed Forces) Act, which dramatically expanded conscription to include all males aged 18 to 41.
By December 1941, the draft extended even further, requiring unmarried women and childless widows between the ages of 20 and 30 to register for service.
Meanwhile in the U.S, “by late 1942 all men aged 18 to 64 were required to register for the draft,” writes the National WWII Museum.
Lottery selects U.S. men for service
The last time the U.S. enforced conscription was in 1973, but the law allows it to be reinstated if Congress and the President deem it necessary.
Any move to reinstate the draft would almost certainly come only after a national emergency or a major war overwhelmed the U.S. military’s ability to recruit enough personnel through its normal voluntary channels.
Although the military remains an all-volunteer force, the legal framework for a draft still exists, but today it’s done through the Selective Service System (SSS) – a lottery that selects men from a database for a draft in case of a national emergency.
As of June 2025, no formal moves have been made to bring back the draft, but the infrastructure – including mandatory registration for men ages 18 to 25 through the SSS – is very much in place.
“If required to register, failure to register is a felony punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and/or 5 years imprisonment,” the official SSS website warns.
Exemptions
According to the UK Parliament, conscription exemptions during WW2 were granted to those deemed “medically unfit” and to individuals working in what were considered vital occupations.
Roles in farming, medicine, engineering, ministers and food supply – even baking, though the need for this occupation has changed since WW2 – were considered essential to the nation’s functioning and were shielded from conscription.
All U.S. men must register
In the U.S, no such occupational exemptions currently exist.
“Virtually all men must register with Selective Service. The exceptions to this rule are very few and include: non-immigrant men on a valid student, visitor, tourist, or diplomatic visas; men on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces; and cadets and midshipmen in the Service Academies and certain other U.S. military colleges,” the SSS outlines, adding that even clergymen and students of the ministry are required to register. “All other men must register upon reaching age 18 (or before age 26, if entering and taking up residence in the U.S. when already older than 18).”
Objectors
But there is protection for those who refuse to fight on moral or religious grounds. “Conscientious Objectors,” legally recognized since WWII, may still be exempted from combat, according to the SSS.
Instead of serving in armed roles, these individuals – who must still register and file a claim if drafted – can support the military effort in non-combat positions, like elderly care, healthcare, or education.
If World War III becomes a reality, your occupation – and location – could very well determine whether you’re handed a weapon – or asked to keep the country running from behind the scenes.
What are your thoughts on the draft? Do you think the U.S should bring it back? Please let us know your thoughts and then share this story so we can get the conversation going!
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