Inclusive Drafting: Real, Fake, or Just Plain Funny?

If you have been on social media in the last couple of weeks, you might have heard about the possibility of women registering for selective service. In a now viral TikTok with over 4.7 million views, Timothy James documents how women being drafted is the next step for the United States military.

In 2022, the Defense Department reported that 89% of young adults, aged 16-24, replied “probably not” or “definitely not” to if they would consider joining the military. This survey showed its truth in 2023 with the Army’s recruitment falling 10,000 people short of their goal and the Navy coming up shy by 6,000.  

With military recruitment goals not hitting the mark in nearly every branch of service, the government is scrambling to get the youth involved.

Source: Unsplash

Conversations around women registering for the draft became a hot topic in 2021, with House Representative Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania introducing an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The revision would require all young adults, 18-25, to sign up for selective service and gained bipartisan support in the House of Representatives.

The amendment failed to pass with the finalized NDAA in December of 2021 and another bill has yet to be introduced.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Although no legal basis for an inclusive selective service has been brought to the House or Senate floor, that did not stop Gen Z from following James’ word and bringing light to the situation. A multitude of TikTok’s have been posted, with meme topics ranging from ex-boyfriends to the girls.

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While the last draft was in 1972—and there seems to be no move for one in the future—it’s still safe to say that the women of Gen Z will not take selective service seriously.

Which TikTok meme was your favorite? Let us know in the comments.