Questions and Answers
Who can join SOS America? SOS America (Service over Self) membership is open to any person 18 or older.
How can I Join SOS America? Click here and follow the easy instructions on the secure sign up pages. Your membership information will be used for SOS America purposes only.
How much does it cost to join SOS America? Basic membership is only $1 a month, payable yearly ($12). You are also asked to recruit three additional members to help the organization grow. If you choose to provide additional support, sustaining members pay $50 per year and lead members pay $100.
Are there membership privileges and duties? Yes. Special membership, feedback and information pages exist and will be expanded. There are no special meetings to attend or voting but building statewide organizations is encouraged and we want to assist in that process if you want to take the lead. Contact us and we can get started.
Why military service versus national volunteer service? The military framework provides a discipline and a rigor that, despite their worthy purpose, civilian volunteer organizations lack.
Is the military service truly universal or will exemptions be available? Universal service is the key excepting only those of substantial physical or mental disadvantage. Those in medical school or training will be allowed to continue and be eligible for service upon completion.
Will conscientious objector status be respected? Yes and appropriate service identified.
Will homosexuals be allowed to serve? Yes, like all men, in accordance with government policy and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
What are the people drafted called? Conscripts.
Will women be conscripted? No, but women can volunteer if they choose.
Will all the conscripts go into the Army? No. All the military services will have call on the conscript pool as well as the Federal, State and Local governments for nation building and assistance tasks.
What ages are eligible to serve and for how long and when? Young men age 18 (17 with parental consent) to 26. One year at their choosing.
Why does the program focus on the young men? While young women may volunteer to be conscripts, the yearly cohort of 18-26 year old men to be inducted numbers roughly 1.5 million. Cost and absorption factors dominate and we need to be able to execute and afford the program.
Moreover, national polling indicates support for conscripting young men but not young women. Additionally, young men tend to be the troublemakers in the society. They need and will benefit most from the experience. The conditions of service will be very simple, even stark, and mixing of the sexes could further complicate matters given the anticipated communal living conditions. However, the current all volunteer force will continue in effect and women are certainly very much a part of that force.
Will laws have to be passed to implement this plan? Yes, draft legislation already exists. The current Selective Service law does provide substantial administrative infrastructure which is helpful including use of local draft boards. However, this is not a draft which has many inequities or ‘chance’ involved. This is a national conscription program.
Do other nations have such programs of universal military service? Yes, a number of European nations.
Is one year of service enough-why not more? Affordability and absorption factors are the limiting factors—See ‘The Plan’. The Congress, however, could decide on a longer term in the eventual legislative package and that’s fine. We just have to pay for it as a nation.
Will the Congress pass the necessary laws? We hope so. A good number of Congressmen believe privately that this program is of great potential value to the country but will not say so publicly without a sizeable citizen’s movement supporting the idea and the affordability analysis that we offer. The Congress is quick to extol the virtue and value of military service but the sad fact is that less than 25% of our elected federal representatives have military service in their background. This is not good.
Can the country afford such a program? Yes. See the ‘Feasibility’ and the ‘What’s the Plan’ pages on this web site. The real answer, besides all the number crunching, is that we must afford it for the good of the country.
Will the all-volunteer force disband? No. The services, including the guard and reserve forces, will experience, if history is a guide, a real surge in volunteers given more advantageous pay, service conditions, career training and opportunities. There will also be large savings in the recruitment and administration of that non-conscription force.
Are membership dues or donations tax deductible? SOS America is a not for profit organization and hopes that such contributions will be tax deductible but the Internal Revenue Service has yet to formally issue that status.
