National
Texts telling people they’ve just been drafted into the Army are fake, officials say
The U.S. Army is warning about fake text messages saying people have been selected for the military draft.
In a statement Tuesday, the Army said that several people around the country have received texts saying they have been drafted or are eligible for the draft. Some texts told the recipients to head to their nearest Army branch “for immediate departure to Iran.”
The texts included both real and fake names of Army officials, and warned of fines and jail time for a minimum of six years if there was no reply.
Kelli Bland, director of Public Affairs for U.S. Army Recruiting Command, told McClatchy News that their recruiters would not communicate with anyone regarding a draft or registration in the Selective Service.
The Selective Service System, which is a separate agency from the Department of Defense, manages registration for the draft. The draft has not been in effect since 1973.
The Selective Service System said in a Facebook post Jan. 3 that it is “conducting business as usual.”
“In the event that a national emergency necessitates a draft, Congress and the President would need to pass official legislation to authorize a draft,” the post said.
Bland said Army security personnel are looking into the origin of the texts.
How the draft works
Almost all men who are U.S. citizens and immigrants between the ages of 18 and 25 must register for the Selective Service. If Congress and the President authorized a draft, then people will be called up based on a lottery system.
The lottery is based on birthdays, and the first to be called are those whose 20th birthday falls in that year. The next to be called are those ages 21 to 25 in sequential order. According to the Selective Service website, 18-year-olds and those turning 19 will likely not be drafted.
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