New bill requires women to sign up for military draft

Congress is looking to either eliminate the Army’s draft program or expand it to both men and women, after a federal judge ruled the male-only draft unconstitutional on Friday, Feb. 22. As women’s opportunities in military roles have grown, and since the Department of Defense lifted a ban on women in combat in 2016, The House and the Senate plan to move forward in including support for females.

U.S. District Judge Gray Miller made a ruling on a case brought forth by the National Coalition For Men, which said that the all-male draft was unfair. Gray said that men and women have equal power to fight, and that this would be the next step in stopping gender discrimination. “The average woman could conceivably be better suited physically for some of today’s combat positions than the average man, depending on which skills the position required,” said Miller. “Combat roles no longer uniformly require sheer size or muscle.”

This landmark decision may affect the West Essex Community tremendously, as  current laws indicate all male students must register for Selective Service within 30 days of turning 18. Senior Besmir Rustemi, who plans to join the Army after graduation instead of going to college, said, “This will greatly increase the Military’s manpower and force. Women are very strong, reliable, and intelligent in planning.”

In a New York Times story from February 24, retired Marine Kate Germano said that ordering a draft is a natural progression after lifting the ban on women in combat roles, adding, “Why not leverage all of the talent pool?” According to a Feb. 24 USA Today story, the Department of Defense lifted the ban on women in combat in 2013, and proceeded to lift all gender based restrictions in 2015.