Selective Service local board member, actually. The local board is for a large county in Northern Virginia, and I recently completed training for the position.
There was interest expressed before in a thread of this nature, given the popularity of this topic on these boards.
I’ll answer questions about Selective Service policies as I understand them, board procedures, and my own motivations for volunteering for this position. Debates about the draft are probably best suited for another thread. I’ll also happily discuss conscientious objectors, as it is local boards that interview men seeking this status and determine their status.
I’ll answer the biggest question right away - the boards are currently in standby, and there has been no indications whatsoever of any draft. As any change in this status will have to come from Congress, it’s likely we’ll get lots of warning prior to any startup of conscription.
#1 - No, but only because I don’t get a nice uniform like his.
If I’m ever called, this work will be considered important enough. I like things nice and peaceful, though, so I’m content to wait in readiness.
#2 - Color blindness can keep you out of some military specialties, but not others. It depends on the type and severity of it, and all this is determined by the Military Entrance Processing Station, not a local draft board.
#3 - Local boards aren’t enforcement arms of the Selective Service. We don’t know if someone hasn’t registered. That’s handled by the national office.
In Virginia, registration rates are quite high, since Virginia automatically registers drivers license applicants. Other states do this too.
#4 - Again, determinations of fitness for service are made by MEPS, and that does include claims of homosexuality. This is affected by the “don’t ask, don’t tell” rule in place since the 1990’s, and has been debated pretty well here in the past.
#5- How does one get on the local board? Suppose there are more volunteers for the local board than places for them- how do they determine who gets on?
Most determinations of things like student deferments, surviving son exemption, exemption for prior service, reserve service, or service in a foreign military are all handled by a Selective Service area office, with some of their decisions appealable to a local board.
The local board automatically handles cases of conscientious objection, hardship, ministry students and ministers of religion. These cases are decided according to evidence provided, witness testimony, and testimony of the affected individual in an informal setting.
The judgements of the area office and the local board are appealable to a District appeal Board, and also to a National Appeal Board. The decision of this board is considered final unless constitutional questions are raised that the courts can address.
Evidently, because the latter are things that can be verified better at a local level – e.g. is this guy really a minister of a church, as opposed to someone who got a ULC ordination over the Web, and his congregation is his Frat House . While the ones in the first paragraph can be checked out better agency-to-agency.
Do you guys have any duties now, or are you just waiting for the time when/if the draft will be reinstated? How often do you meet? In your last post you mentioned exemptions. Is this something people are dealing with now, or will it wait until people are actually drafted?
In the Vietnam era, one major point of contention was the student deferment system. In theory, this was supposed to allow someone to serve after completing their studies. In practice, it became a vehicle to allow lots of men to avoid service entirely.
In response to this, the law has since been changed. If you’re a college senior, you will be allowed to finish the academic year. Others will be allowed to finish the semester. High school students will get a deferment until their graduation date or their 20th birthday, whichever comes first.
Instead of finishing school and then serving, the thinking now is that you can finish school after your service. Considering that the draft will take place only in a national emergency, IMO, this system seems much more fair.
How would you, personally, respond if Gordon Ligh- , I mean, if a new version of the Catonsville Nine showed up, either now, or if a draft should come to pass?
As a board member, I am charged not only with obeying and upholding the law, but also with helping to protect and defend the rights of people who have to deal with the board.
It’s an important process, and the rights and lives of people are at stake in it.
Given all that, I can’t have much sympathy with anyone who would try to disrupt the work being done, especially given that, properly done, it is as much about keeping deserving people out of the military as putting them in.
what are the other board members like? Would you say that they would be the type of people one might expect (e.g., “pro-military,” more conservatives, etc) or might we be surpirsed by a hippie or two?
