WASHINGTON (AP) -- Signing up for the potential military draft can be as simple as turning on the computer.
The Selective Service was activating its online registration site Wednesday. That means that instead of heading to the post office, filling out a form, then waiting two to three months for a confirmation card, young men with access to the Internet can simply log on and sign up."We're giving men yet another easier, faster way to take care of their legal obligation," said Lew Brodsky, the agency's director of public and congressional affairs. "He'll be hooking directly to the mainframe, and when he hits the 'submit' button, he's going to get an instantaneous Selective Service number. He'll be registered as of that moment." The online site is http://www.sss.gov.
The law requires male U.S. citizen and male aliens living in the United States, age 18 through 25, to register with Selective Service. Registration does not mean automatic induction into the military. The United States has not drafted men into the military since the end of the Vietnam War. About 1.8 million 18-year-old men register each year. The agency estimates a 91 percent compliance rate.