The US doesn't care about its people. Why go to war for it? | Your Turn

Military recruitment has been steadily rising since before President Donald Trump retook the White House, but the enthusiasm for military service may stop short of support for a military draft amid the increasingly unpopular war in Iran.

Come December, eligible men will be automatically registered into the U.S. military draft pool via the Selective Service System – the federal agency that oversees the database of men eligible for service in the event of a military draft.

The new automatic registration process was approved by Congress under the National Defense Authorization Act and was signed by Trump in December 2025, but as the war in Iran continues with no end in sight, the debate has resurfaced and raised a host of questions.

So we asked you, our readers: Should regular citizens be required to participate in a draft? And for what reasons could someone be exempted? Should it be only men? How old should conscripts be?

Below are some of the responses you gave us. For more opportunities to weigh in at usatoday.com/forum, leave us a voicemail at (202) 655-3923 or drop us a note at [email protected].

The United States can have a draft when we care for our own people

Any nation that automatically registers men to fight and die, but refuses to automatically register them to vote, does not deserve to be defended.

Any coward who refused to fight when their nation issued a call to action is not qualified to call anyone else to action.

Why should anyone volunteer to fight and die for an uncivilized nation that does not provide its citizens with basic human rights? Health care, housing, food security, education and retirement are human rights in civilized countries. The United States isn't civilized.

The United States does not care about its people, and this is reflected in its self‑serving foreign and domestic policies. Children are gunned down in the nation’s streets, schools, churches and homes, while this uncivilized and violent nation of cowardly men literally sits back and watches the show – too self‑serving to give up their guns.

Any nuclear‑armed nation that spends far more on war, death and destruction than it spends on human development has outlived its usefulness and represents an existential threat to humanity.

— Randy Johnson, Missouri

Americans should serve their country, military or not

I served in the National Guard and deployed to Syria.

I think both males and females should be required to register for Selective Service, and instead of possibly getting called in for the draft, there should be an option to do two years of service within your community, whether as a firefighter, paramedic or some other role that entails service to your community.

Either way, the draft should not be reinstated. I don't believe the draft has ever been popular, whether it was the American Civil War, World War I, World War II or the Vietnam War. There is not a massive boots-on-the-ground presence that would justify a surge in the military right now.

From what we've seen, our technological and tactical capabilities far surpass what Iran possesses. We were able to build a FARP (forward arming and refueling point) in Iran during the search for the downed U.S. pilot ‒ something that Russia has not been able to accomplish deep inside Ukraine.

The number of recruits in the military fluctuates with the political climate. When President Donald Trump came back into office, you saw an increase in the number of people enlisting. Additionally, you see a focus on making the military lethal again by enforcing standards that already existed and making gender neutral changes when it comes to combat branches.

The perception toward individuals who take up an oath to serve changed dramatically after 9/11, and for the better. A lot of it had to do with and was driven by Vietnam veterans and how they were treated after the war. Instead of becoming jaded and full of resentment, which they had every right to be, they were determined to ensure that future soldiers returning from conflicts abroad were not treated the same.

The military certainly needs to adapt to the changing threat of drone warfare. It's very hard to justify using a patriot missile to defend against a drone that is a fraction of the cost of the missile itself. Additionally, a lot of the companies that the military hands out contracts to need to be held liable when the contract is not fulfilled or they fall short on their promises, like when it comes to base housing.

— David Leach, Pennsylvania

Why should we fight for a government that doesn't work for us?

I think it's bold thinking that citizens of this country who are being screwed by the government would feel an obligation to fight for this country, as well as Israel.

No one should be forced to enroll in the Selective Service. If you choose to volunteer, you do you. But if Washington officials didn't start wars, they wouldn't need recruitment.

Individuals are appreciative of service members. The U.S. government treats them badly – hence the number of homeless vets. The only things I can think of provided to the military veterans are assistance with education and crappy medical treatment.

We overfund the military considering the state of education, health care and infrastructure in this country. We also fund Israel's military, which is ridiculous.

— Christine Luongo, New Jersey

We should focus on taking better care of vets

I don't think registration should be mandatory for anyone. If we are going to keep doing the draft, we need to include women in this, as women serve in the military as well. We also need to stop excluding people who want to be in the military and serve their country, who are being excluded for silly reasons.

Women have been serving in the military for years. They are just as capable. Reasons to exempt should include mental health reasons, medications, being against military service or war (pacifists), full-time students (or even part-time) – anything that would exempt them from serving or deny them from serving in the first place.

We have plenty of people serving already. We should make the process easier for people who want to serve, not force people who do not.

For example, I know of an 18-year-old male who was excluded from joining the military for medications he had taken two years ago. He wants to serve and is perfectly capable. Why deny him the chance?

We don't treat our military very well, particularly after they are out. Veterans' benefits are hard to access. There isn't enough done for mental health. These are people who want to be there. If this is forced, it's going to get worse.

— Emily Martin, Georgia