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U.S. & World

World War 3 memes have made college kids panic about a potential draft. Should they be worried?

The government system wants you to know there isn’t a draft

By Herb Scribner Herb Scribnerhscribner@deseretnews.com
SHARE World War 3 memes have made college kids panic about a potential draft. Should they be worried?
FILE - In this file photo released on Oct. 1, 2018, by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, missiles are fired from city of Kermanshah in western Iran targeting the Islamic State group in Syria. Qassem Soleimani, Commander of Iran’s Quds Force, was the frontman of Iran’s Syria policy since 2011, propping up the embattled Assad as armed opposition against him intensified. (Sepahnews via AP, File)

In this file photo released on Oct. 1, 2018, by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, missiles are fired from city of Kermanshah in western Iran targeting the Islamic State group in Syria. Qassem Soleimani, Commander of Iran’s Quds Force, was the frontman of Iran’s Syria policy since 2011, propping up the embattled Assad as armed opposition against him intensified.

Sepahnews via Associated Press, file photo

There isn’t a draft for World War III, nor is there a Third World War going on yet, either. But the Selective Service System cleared up a lot of confusion about a potential draft Tuesday.

The setup: Memes (and fears) of World War 3 and a potential draft began after the United States did a drone strike in Iraq, which killed one of Iran’s top leaders, Qassem Soleimani.

The details: The Selective Service — an independent agency that maintains information in case of a military drafted — tweeted that the agency is working like normal without a draft in mind.

  • “The Selective Service System is conducting business as usual. In the event that a national emergency necessitates a draft, Congress and the President would need to pass official legislation to authorize a draft.”

What happened: The Selective Service’s website shut down after college-aged and young people visited the Selective Service System’s website out of concern for the draft, according to CBS News.

  • Young people were worried over certain memes that “suggested that college-age students would be prioritized for service,” according to CBS News.

What really happens: All men who are 18 to 25 years old must register for the draft through the Selective Service System.

You can apply when getting a driver’s license or when you apply for federal student aid, according to The New York Times.

Per CBS News, anyone is eligible but if they don’t register for the draft they are “generally unable to get federal financial aid for higher education. FAFSA offers applicants a way to register for the draft in the aid application. Those who are ineligible for draft exemption and who failed to register are not granted federal financial aid,” according to CBS News,

  • Males who don’t take out federal loans or don’t go to college still have to register for the draft, per CBS News.
  • You may not get drafted even though you’ve signed up, though, according to The New York Times.
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