The US federal government has revealed plans to automatically register eligible young men for conscription, but the internet is reeling after learning Barron Trump won’t be one of them.
A new rule, which was published last week, means that from December, all eligible men aged 18 to 25 will automatically be registered for military draft when they apply for a drivers license or ID.
The new system will replace the current scheme, which relies on eligible young men self-registering within 30 days of their 18th birthday.
As it stands, men in this age group have until they turn 26 to register, or face a fine of up to $250,000 or five years in prison, as well as potentially being denied student loans, government jobs or even US citizenships for immigrants.
While 46 states or territories across the US already have automatic registers for eligible men, however the federal rule will mean all states are operating by the same system.
The US hasn’t actually used a military draft since the Vietnam War, when 1.7 million men were selected to fight between 1964 and 1973, however with the ongoing conflict of the Iran war, many Americans have been left questioning whether they’re likely to be called up.
Who would be called up first?
Although a conscription is unlikely to happen unless current conflict majorly escalates or some kind of national crisis is declared, it’s understandable that young American men are growing concerned about potentially being forced to join the military.
There are some exceptions to the rule, however, with anyone who has a medical or mental health condition, including chronic illness, disability or psychological issues, likely to be exempt from the process entirely.
Full-time students have historically received deferments, particularly those close to completing degrees.
If the government did decide a military draft was necessary, those whose 20th birthday falls during the lottery year would be called first, the SSS explains.
If insufficient, the system expands to ages 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25. Only after exhausting ages 20-25 would it move to 19-year-olds, then those 18 and a half.
The men whose numbers are called will go through medical and psychological exams and if they don’t meet the standards they’ll be exempt. Those who are considered to be fit for duty will be officially inducted into a branch of the military, such as the Army or the Navy and will then go through basic training.
Currently women are not required to register, however there has been some debate around this subject, given that much of the volunteer military is already made up of women.
Why Barron Trump would likely not be drafted
Given that the decision for conscription would almost certainly be decided by Donald Trump, who himself managed to avoid being drafted to the Vietnam War despite being prime age, people have started calling on the US president to draft his son, 19-year-old Barron Trump, first if the need arises.
However, the internet has been shocked to discover that Barron would likely not be drafted at all, as he would be too tall for many of the roles in the armed forces, due to his high stature of 6’9″, the Irish Star reports.
Many of the military roles require confinement to smaller spaces such as tanks, armored vehicles, and aircraft.
The army typically sets a maximum height of 80 inches (6’8″) for certain roles, which could make Barron ineligible for those specific positions.
New website demanding Barron Trump is drafted
A tongue-in-cheek website has now appeared on the internet, containing a whole host of fake quotes attributed to the president and members of his family, and dripping with the kind of pointed political satire that has defined American dissent for generations.
The site, DraftBarronTrump.com, greets visitors with the message: “America is strong because its leaders are strong. President Trump proves that every day. Naturally, his son Barron is more than ready to defend the country his father so boldly commands. Service is an honor. Strength is inherited.”
Its ‘About Us’ section declares the site is dedicated to ‘honoring the strongest and bravest voices in war,’ arguing that ‘when power is projected abroad, it is only right that strength exists at home.’
