Fear not! There’s no draft … yet, anyway.

What with the increase of tensions with Iran, some people are afraid that a draft might be instituted.  There hasn’t been one since 1973!  But some people have been getting texts telling people that they’ve been drafted!  Some are being told that they need to report for immediate departure to Iran.  Other messages have said that the recipient would be fined and would be sent to jail for a minimum of six years.

It’s not clear what the sender is trying to get out of this, but what has occurred is a flood of calls and emails to the U.S. Army Recruiting Command.  Frankly, I think it’s just pranksters who think it’s funny or get a kick out of causing a panic.

Anyway, the U.S. Army has released a statement confirming the messages are indeed fake.  A draft cannot be active until an actual war is declared and lawmakers would have to approve a draft.  And I have to believe that, as old-fashioned as snail-mail is, that’s how draft notices would have to be sent.  It’s crazy to believe they’d be sent by text, or even email.

So stand down.  As of yet anyway, neither you nor your kids are being shipped out.