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The SSS is the US draft registry (there hasn’t been a draft call since ’72).
From their website:
A young man who fails to register with Selective Service may be ineligible for opportunities that may be important to his future. He must register to be eligible for federal student financial aid, state-funded student financial aid in many states, most federal employment, some state employment, security clearance for contractors, job training under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (formerly known as the Workforce Investment Act), and U.S. citizenship for immigrant men.
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[F]ederal student loans or grant programs. This includes Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), Direct Stafford Loans/Plus Loans, National Direct Student Loans, and College Work Study.
If you’re from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, or the District of Columbia, applying for a driver’s license as a male 18-25 will either give you the option to have your info given to the SSS or force you to consent to the same if you want a license (note that New Jersey does not).
Yes all my sons have registered just as I registered when I was 18. IN NYC, to apply for youth corps one must have his registration number.
Of course I registered and I assume everyone does. You MISSED a small potential penalty for not registering:
You may be prosecuted and face a fine of up to $250,000 and/or jail time of up to five years. (!!!!!!!)
Although there is no current draft in the US, registration at age 18 is required. It is not optional for males.
Local draft boards do mot exist as they did during the Viet Nam era.
However, Regional Draft Appeals Boards still exist and are staffed by volunteers in case a draft is implemented.
Both myself and another local Yid in my small CT town serve on the Regional Selective Service Appeals Board for Southern New England. We receive training materials several times each year.Students looking for Financial Aid for Colleges and grad schools and filling out the FAFSA form are asked if they have registered. If they have not, they are not eligible for aid, grants, subsidized and unsubsidized federal loans, etc.
As for the OP’s question: “Do you register your sons?” the answer is NO, Your sons must register themselves when turning 18.
I still can’t believe they re-instituted registration. This was done by Reagan. Why do we need it?
If you don’t plan on getting a student loan, or collegiate financial aid, it isn’t a big deal to register.
Local draft boards do exist in New York with one Board for each zip code. There are vacancies on numerous boards. Those interested in applying should check the Selective Service website. I have served on a draft board for over 20 years. I am aware of other frum Yiddin including Chassidim serving on Boards in Brooklyn. I serve because I feel our presence of members of our community is necessary We no longer have in person annual training due to budget constraints, but are kept informed of changes and receive online refresher training. If the draft is reinstated I assure you we are ready.
@Yaakov Doe
Just to be clear I did not say local boards do not exist, I wrote that they don’t exist as they were during the Viet Nam War era…our last active draft.
NYC may have one board per zip code, but here in the country a local board may serve a dozen towns. That said they are full of vacancies and do not meet in person or have in person training. Most do not have offices as the DofD is not interested in paying rent for useless space.@Yussel
NO, Reagan did NOT start up registration again. It was a Presidential Proclamation by President Carter in 1980 that restarted registration during the Iran Hostage Crisis.With the creation of the U.S. Space Force, maybe a draft will be needed to populate its ranks.
By the way, why aren’t the Equal Rights Amendment supporters demanding that women be included in the Selective Service registration?
No, of course nobody can register their sons. The sons have to register themselves.
DovidBT:
The ERA passed the House in 1970 and 1971 but stalled in the Senate as a result of attempts to add an amendment recusing women from the draft. Most but not all of the early Womens’ Rights advocates supported the notion of including women in draft regisration. However, given at the time most MOS categories were closed to women, they would have given women the option of alternative public service.
Can you get out of registering by changing your gender?
If the law requires registration, what is the question???? Orthodox Jews are not exempt from the laws of the land in which they live. Not traffic laws, not tax laws, not welfare fraud laws and not draft registration laws. To flout the law is a Chillul Hashem and promotes anti-Semitism, in my opinion.
CT Lawyer:
You are right; thank you. I apologize to Reagan for blaming him all these years. BH I was born during the small window of time when exempted me from registration.
@DovodBT
“why aren’t the Equal Rights Amendment supporters demanding that women be included in the Selective Service registration?”2 reasons:
1-they are against a draft
2-why waste time pushing registration for a non-existent draft? There are better uses for their political timeJoseph et al, keep in mind that , unlike in Israel, learning in yeshiva will not prevent you from being drafted should, g.f. , a draft be reinstated. If there won’t be college deferments, there won’t be yeshiva deferments. If you’re American enough to claim Medicaid , food stamps and housing benefits, you’re American enough to serve, should it ever come to that.
I think the era of long-wars with the need of hundreds of thousands of draftee infantrymen as was the case in Vietnam is unlikely to return. By the time the draft system could be reinstated and implemented, the War would be over.
You have to register yourself. You literally just fill out a prepaid postcard they send to you and return it by mail. Takes all of 5 minutes. I registered when I reached 18.
Anonymous, there will always be bone spurs.
AJ: The United States has accepted conscientious objectors during the time of draft. Unlike Israel.
It is very difficult to get conscientious objector status. Even if they did, they still couldn’t stay in yeshiva. They would have to serve in some sort of civilian capacity.
A “conscientious objector” in the U.S. is someone who has a principled religious/faith or morally based objection to armed combat and typically (although not always) required to serve in some non-combat MOS or provide alternative public service. It was not designed to accommodate wealthy or privileged guys who didn’t want to inconvenience themselves, incur the risk of combat or have to interrupt their life of wealth and privilege for the rigors of military service.
No, I did not register my sons.
The Wolf
It’s pathetic that this topic is even an issue to be discussed on an openly Orthodox web site. Hey guys, don’t you think that this web site is being accessed by our “friends” at RUOC and their ilk? Please, let’s not give them any ammunition in their anti-Semitic campaigns.
My answer to the OP’s question is 100% legal and within both the spirit and letter of the law.
The Wolf
Wolf, of course it was. You are neither required nor even able to register other people.
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