Women have been serving the country for generations, sewing uniforms and nursing the wounded for years. Some have dedicated their lives flying fighter jets and fighting on the front line.

However, they have never been required to render their services by registering for the draft. Some advocates are hoping to change that.

The US military commission submitted a report to Congress concluding all women ages 18 to 25 should also be required to register for the draft should the country ever need to call Americans into active-duty service.

The national commission determined the county would best benefit by requiring both men and women to register for the Selective Service where only men currently register. The commission believes doubling the pool would improve military readiness. It will also help raise the quality of those who might serve.

Women have taken on a larger presence in the military for years, making up for almost 17 percent of active-duty troops. It is due to this that the commission concluded the inclusion of women "a necessary and fair step."

Women ages 18 to 25 would be asked to register with the Selective Service System should the Congress adopt the recommendation. Registrations will automatically happen when an individual applies for a driver's license or federal financial aid, removing the need to make a trip to the post office.

However, another law should be passed before any registrant would be conscripted due to the abolishment of the draft system in 1973.

The commission recommended that the United States keep a database for draft options. The drafting system will act as a last resort should there be a national security threat.

A recent ruling saw the US District Judge Gray Miller of the Southern District of Texas calling an all-male military draft as unconstitutional.

The issue has become more urgent in recent years. The movement followed Pentagon's 2015 announcement where they opened all combat jobs to women. This historic news saw women driving tanks, firing mortars, and leading infantry soldiers into combat.

More than 224,000 women joined the military since the Pentagon first opened its doors to the female gender.



Two generals openly advocated for the eligibility of women to register in the system in 2016. Gen. Robert B. Neller and Gen. Mark A. Milley said all Americans who were physically qualified should be allowed to register for the draft, a sentiment echoed by Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell.

Reinstating the draft is largely unpopular, though it is seen as the last option. A poll conducted on February 29, 2019, shows the general population split about whether or not women should be allowed to register. More than half of all Americans are in favor of the idea.

Quinnipiac University also conducted a poll on February 7, 2013, where an overwhelming 75 percent supported the inclusion of women in combat. The study also showed more women opposed to making the changes.

The report will be the final stage in the decades-long debate about the drafting system and the inclusion of women in it.

Former Nevada congressman and the commission's chairman Joe Heck said he was confident the recommendation would reach the Senate and the House. "Where it goes from there is a matter of debate."

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