Draft Us Too, America

In December, the U.S. Navy announced that Captain Amy Bauernschmidt would assume command of the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), becoming the first female aircraft carrier commanding officer. Through decades of technological innovation, carriers remain crucial guarantors of U.S. security, as do the brave and seasoned men and, now, women who have led them since before World War II. Yet, the importance of the aircraft carrier is not the only vestige of World War II remaining among our armed forces. The military context of the draft in the 1940s—one that mobilized 10 million men and zero women—also persists. Even in 2021, women aged 18 to 25 are not required to register for the Selective Service System, unlike their male counterparts.