Ten years ago, when most of today's undergraduates were in elementary school, the US fought its last war. Operation Desert Storm lasted less than 45 days with 139 of 540,000 US troops killed in action. The enemy was Iraq, and the US won a decisive victory, securing Kuwait's independence. There was no draft.
Now, a new war is beginning. The initial conflict took place on American soil, at places many students have visited and where some have even worked. Estimates of US casualties number above 6,000, roughly double the amount of US soldiers killed during the strike on Pearl Harbor in 1941. And though there's no obvious enemy, President Bush has warned Americans of a "lengthy campaign" to rid the world of terrorists. But there is still no draft.
Nevertheless, newspapers and TV networks across the country are reporting a growing unease among college students who fear that the draft may be reinstated. Male students were required to register with the Selective Service System when they turned 18, though many say they thought nothing of it at the time. After all, there hasn't been a draft since the Vietnam War.
"I'm not really worried," junior Dan Hoagland said. "If it came to the draft, I'd go."
Despite national media reports to the contrary, Hoagland's view represents the opinion of many at Tufts: while the draft may come up in conversation more and more since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, students aren't worried. Many, in fact, say they would fight if asked.
Among Hoagland's friends, he said, some are ready to go to war, while others are eyeing tickets to Canada.
Other students say they are not sure how a reinstatement of the draft would affect them, since most of their information on the subject comes from their parents' experience. Some, like senior Paul Lanks, say that college students are not eligible for being sent into ground combat. Although this was true during the Vietnam conflict, later legislation allows only a one semester deferment, which means current students could be called up as early as January if a draft were begun today.
Under the Selective Service System, men whose 20th birthday falls in the current calendar year are called up first in the event of a draft, followed by those turning 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25. Eighteen-year-olds and those turning nineteen are drafted last.
According to official sources, however, there is no cause for concern. Last Wednesday, White House Spokesman Ari Fleisher released a statement saying that the draft won't happen any time soon. There is no consideration of reinstating the draft at this time, Fleisher said. "From my conversations with the Pentagon, it's not something they anticipate," he added.
Sociology professor and Director of Peace and Justice Studies Paul Joseph said that the public's concept of the draft is part of preparing for war. "Everything is entailed in social mobility for war - support for the president, making a sacrifice, lining up behind the flag, constructing external enemies," Joseph said.
Part of what he calls the "cultural aspects" of war, Joseph said that people invariably find themselves considering the possibility of a draft, notwithstanding the untraditional nature of a war against terrorists. "You can't eliminate the situation," he said. "It may be possible there may be manpower demands that may necessitate a draft down the line."
Junior Mike Lambert said he does not see the draft happening for a long time, if at all. Calling it a "last-ditch effort" on the part of the president, he said people are worried because Bush warned the nation to prepare for a prolong conflict. "When people think of a long war, they think of World War II," Lambert said. "This is a whole new territory."
Junior Samantha Herman agreed that the conflict cannot be thought of in traditional terms, and said she's not anxious about a draft. "It seems there won't be as many ground troops," Herman said. "Everyone's calling it the new war."
The armed services has seen an increase in recruits since the attacks, though the official numbers won't be released until the end of the month. Sgt. Parker Simon of the Malden Recruiting Station said there are "a few" more Army recruits than usual, and that he's aware of an increase of recruits throughout the armed forces branches.
Though a draft is far from imminent and most students remain unconcerned, some are beginning to worry. Sophomore Elizabeth Wolkomir, though not eligible for the draft herself, has a brother in his early twenties. She's been talking to him lately about the possibility of a military call-up, and says she feels that everything is out of her control.
"At this point, I feel that whatever is going to happen is going to occur," Wolkomir said, adding that she can't believe a draft could happen very soon.
According to Wolkomir, her brother had always planned to leave the country if a draft were ever declared. But after witnessing the worst domestic attack in America's history, he's had a change of heart. If drafted, Wolkomir says, her brother would go.
