Trump to automatically register one age group for conscription as WW3 fears explode

The US will begin automatically registering eligible men into the military draft pool by December. Most American men aged 18 to 25 are already required to register with the Selective Service System (SSS), the government agency that maintains a database of men to be called up to serve in the event of a national emergency.

The move to introduce automatic registration comes amid heightened tensions with the war in Iran, however, it was in fact mandated back in December as part of a new national defence legislation. Lawmakers said the change would save taxpayer money and cut red tape. Currently, men in the US are required to register themselves with the Selective Service within 30 days of their 18th birthday.

Late registrations are accepted up until a man reaches his 26th birthday.

Failure to register is a felony and can lead to being refused student loans, federal jobs and US citizenship for immigrants.

The pending rule change was submitted by the SSS last week.

The agency states on its website: “This statutory change transfers responsibility for registration from individual men to SSS through integration with federal data sources.

“SSS will implement the change by December 2026, resulting in a streamlined registration process and corresponding workforce realignment.”

The US has not had a military draft since the 1970s during the Vietnam War.

Despite this, most men aged between 18 and 25 still have to register with the SSS.

According to its website, almost all male US citizens and male immigrants in the age group are required to register.

It said this includes U.S.-born and naturalised citizens, undocumented immigrants, asylum seekers, refugees and and all males with visas of any kind which expired more than 30 days ago.

In the event of a crisis, men would be called in a sequence determined by random lottery number and year of birth.

They would then undergo mental, physical and ‘moral fitness’ examinations before being drafted into the military, or deferred or exempted.

Some 81% of eligible men registered with the SSS in 2024.

During his 2024 election campaign, Donald Trump signalled he is against the idea of a military draft.

It comes as the topic of conscription continues to gather pace among some commentators in the UK amid rising tensions and manpower concerns.

Nations like France and Germany have both recently moved to bring in new forms of military service to help bolster their forces.

The UK has insisted it has no plans to reintroduce military service.