Social media has flooded with posts about recent happenings in Iran and a potential “World War III.” Flippant posts about the hypothetical WWIII draft have popped up over various platforms, particularly on Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. As time has passed, the likelihood of a full-scale war has decreased, but what do the recent events mean for America? For the world? And in the event of a war, could some of our very own students be forced to fight?
In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt implemented the Selective Training and Service Act, which involved the military draft. Essentially, this law required all fit men between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five to register for Selective Service. In the event that their military assistance was necessary, these men could be called upon to serve. Today, these guidelines remain in place, though they are not adhered to nearly as much as they once were. Very few men are actually drafted into war, and many never register for Selective Service.
So, technically, the memes and TikToks you see about the WWIII draft are not entirely false; the concept of the military draft is still very much existent. What is improbable, though, is WWIII itself. On January 3, the U.S. killed Iranian General Qassem Suleimani. Days later, Iran responded with a missile attack. Now, however, it appears that both nations want to de-escalate the conflict. Only time will tell how this issue will unfold, but a full-scale war is unlikely.
As high school students, the overwhelming majority of us are not at risk of being drafted, but this does not mean that it could not happen to some people in the future. As for now, though, don’t worry about getting called to serve in World War III. Maybe in a few years…