Drafted Into The Military

I enlisted into the USAF shortly after turning 18 in November 1971. I received my Draft Number while I was in Basic Training. I was untouchable!

So my question for all is: Were you required to serve in your nation's military and which branch?

The draft was discontinued by the time I enlisted, also USAF, in 1989.

What'd you do in the Air Force? I was a firefighter.

Thumpalumpacus said:

The draft was discontinued by the time I enlisted, also USAF, in 1989.

What'd you do in the Air Force? I was a firefighter.

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I was a computer repairman. I maintained the 465L RCC and the 407L TACCS systems. I loved it.

KLS&C 85 said:

I enlisted into the USAF shortly after turning 18 in November 1971. I received my Draft Number while I was in Basic Training. I was untouchable!

So my question for all is: Were you required to serve in your nation's military and which branch?

Click to expand...

I turned 18 in July 1980 - I enlisted in the USMC in August 1980 (delayed entry to use my 1 year academic scholarship to my home-town university - I studied electromnics engineering, as I was enlisting to be an aircraft electronics [avionics] tech).

In the summer of 1984, while my A-6E squadron was deployed in Japan, I was called into the squadron admin office... where the GySgt told me "I'll have no draft-dodgers in my Corps" and had me fill out the draft registration that I had not done in 1980. Yep... a Corporal in the USMC with 3 years of active duty still had to register for the (then-dormant) draft!

The bureaucrats must be obeyed.

GreenKnight121 said:

I turned 18 in July 1980 - I enlisted in the USMC in August 1980 (delayed entry to use my 1 year academic scholarship to my home-town university - I studied electromnics engineering, as I was enlisting to be an aircraft electronics [avionics] tech).

In the summer of 1984, while my A-6E squadron was deployed in Japan, I was called into the squadron admin office... where the GySgt told me "I'll have no draft-dodgers in my Corps" and had me fill out the draft registration that I had not done in 1980. Yep... a Corporal in the USMC with 3 years of active duty still had to register for the (then-dormant) draft!

The bureaucrats must be obeyed.

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I had to do the same before I enlisted. There was a draft back then!

Yeah I was drafted, in the fall of 1969, within a couple months of graduating from University. I tried claiming C O status, and strongly considered Canada, but finally decided to enlist to (hopefully) avoid getting my ass shot off for a cause I did not believe in. My service was pretty good -- I got orders to Nam twice but they were cancelled both times due to the war ending (it was ending for years but that's another story). I went to a long school and made E-5 in 14 months so got to avoid a lot of crap, live off base (in San Francisco, California no less) and have a pretty decent life working and chasing nurses. My wife claims I have the best luck of anybody she's ever known...

I was in the second to last draft before the lottery system was instituted. I was in 91C school when the first lottery happened -- my number would have been 314 and I would never have gone in. As I said it ended up being a very worthwhile experience. To have one's life and fate entirely in the control of that great faceless entiy for three and a half years was educational, to say the least. The nurses were fun.

I still have my draft card. I turned 18 in December 1972. I think my lottery # was 15 or something. The draft was cancelled at the time but they drew the numbers just in case. Many kids around my age tried tricks to get around the system.
I knew a guy who got his draft notice for the Army, then ran down to the Navy recruiter and joined, having the recruiter back-date his papers to before the draft notice. He became a helicopter mechanic and served Stateside.
I have tried to tell younger people what it was like to be a kid back then - having the draft looming over you, seeing older kids get drafter or hear outrageous stories about the physicals and pre-induction tests.
We also remember the song "Alice's Restaurant" by Arlo Guthrie.

A week after I had just received my draft card, a friend who fit my ID borrowed it. Haven't seen it since.

Graduated High School in 1961 and had been accepted at the U of Illinois so had a student deferral. U of I was a Land Grant University so all Fresh & Soph male student were automatically enrolled in ROTC. Those who had had ROTC in their High Schools were made Corporals/Sergeants. 2-3 times per week we were forced to drill on the University Quad. Resistance to Vietnam War/Draft was beginning and a group (SPU-Student Peace Union) had formed so all our "Drills" were picketed by the SPU. "Peace" sounded good to me so I went to a few of their meetings. Towards the end of that year the SPU held a large rally with a "Guest Speaker" from Calif. by the name of Tom Hayden. I went to that rally and met Tom after the rally. He was probably one of the most intelligent, charismatic, person I have ever known. He wanted all the various student Peace ions to join into a nation-wide organization to oppose the War/Draft: Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).
As a member of SDS I participated in most anti-War/Draft protests which were NOT well received at the time and I and others were arrested several times though charges were always dropped. HOWEVER such activity was reported to my local Draft Board and by 1962 they had revoked my 2-S Deferral and moved my name to the top of the Draft list.
Several of my friends were in the same boat and many had headed North to Canada and had urged me to go as well. My Parents made it VERY clear that they had NOT raised a Draft-Dodger and IF I chose Canada I no longer had a family.
My best friend Rick was also going to be drafted. His decision was that JOINING was better than being drafted so he quickly joined the Navy. I, on the other hand, thought that I could fight (I was a naive child) the Draft board. Thus by the end of 1962 I was on my way to Fort Ord for Army basic training.

mikewint said:

Graduated High School in 1961 and had been accepted at the U of Illinois so had a student deferral. U of I was a Land Grant University so all Fresh & Soph male student were automatically enrolled in ROTC. Those who had had ROTC in their High Schools were made Corporals/Sergeants. 2-3 times per week we were forced to drill on the University Quad. Resistance to Vietnam War/Draft was beginning and a group (SPU-Student Peace Union) had formed so all our "Drills" were picketed by the SPU. "Peace" sounded good to me so I went to a few of their meetings. Towards the end of that year the SPU held a large rally with a "Guest Speaker" from Calif. by the name of Tom Hayden. I went to that rally and met Tom after the rally. He was probably one of the most intelligent, charismatic, person I have ever known. He wanted all the various student Peace ions to join into a nation-wide organization to oppose the War/Draft: Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).
As a member of SDS I participated in most anti-War/Draft protests which were NOT well received at the time and I and others were arrested several times though charges were always dropped. HOWEVER such activity was reported to my local Draft Board and by 1962 they had revoked my 2-S Deferral and moved my name to the top of the Draft list.
Several of my friends were in the same boat and many had headed North to Canada and had urged me to go as well. My Parents made it VERY clear that they had NOT raised a Draft-Dodger and IF I chose Canada I no longer had a family.
My best friend Rick was also going to be drafted. His decision was that JOINING was better than being drafted so he quickly joined the Navy. I, on the other hand, thought that I could fight (I was a naive child) the Draft board. Thus by the end of 1962 I was on my way to Fort Ord for Army basic training.

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Fighting draft boards was not a productive strategy in those days. That's most of why I enlisted...

My experiences were different from many as I had wanted to fly since an early age. My father said it was because, during the second war years living in Wash.D.C., our apartment was under the landing approach to Boling Field and I would watch the P-40s fly over until I fell backwards hitting my head. Living in New Orleans in my pre teen years, the days were filled with flying and building, and re-building, models. When 14 years old I joined Civil Air Patrol Cadets at the Lakefront Airport which turned out to be an extraordinary unit. We learned dead recon navigation. aeronautics, basic airmanship as well as military discipline. Seeing an article on the beginning of the USAF Academy in 1956, becoming an academy cadet was the goal. A surprising number of CAP cadets from our cadet squadron were appointed to West Point, Annapolis, and the Airforce academies. Almost all of the rest, both male and female, joined the Airforce except for a few misguided souls who became U.S. Marines. Nearly all of the CAP cadets, before me and after, went into aviation. I graduated high school June 1959 and two weeks later entered the USAF Academy 29 JUN 59. The military parts, while difficult, were expected and managed. What became the problem was the discovery that I was right brain dominate allowing for history, language and general aviation to be easily learned, while advanced math was a very difficult language (analytical calculus and differential equations) followed by advanced physics, needing a strong left brain. As a consequence, I was separated from active duty and finished my six year commitment in the 926th Troop Carrier Sq USAFR as an apprentice, assistant propeller repairman in the prop shop.. Ex academy cadets have no MOS.
Over all a great experience although I did not fly fighters as did many of my USAFA classmates.
I once had a draft card when I reached 18 in high school, but it was not needed.

-I enlisted at 17 so missed registering for the draft. I found out that registering was required once my three years were up.
-So, there I am, all 130lbs of me, walking into a rural draft board office to register. I showed them my US, vice VN, driver's license and provoked an immediate "WHERE THE H*** HAVE YOU BEEN???"
-Things quieted down a bit when I presented my DD214(military separation document) that listed two tours in VietNam.
-Well, I thought it was funny even if they didn't.

Sisu said:

Fighting draft boards was not a productive strategy in those days. That's most of why I enlisted...

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My step-dad, same story, he said "If I'm going in I'm going in a Marine," and enlisted when graduated, in 1963. Became a radioman in a recon company doing LRRPs in-country, and little different from a conscript in the scheme of things.

We had mandatory military service. I was the last intake that did two years, and served in the South African Air Force, the second-oldest air force in the world, 1988-89, plus several annual month-long "refreshers" until 1994.

Aye, I was in the Swedish Army 1988-89....