The military draft ended in 1973, when the U.S. converted to all-volunteer armed forces. A draft could be revived, however, if the U.S. ever faced a grave military threat. That’s why young men who’ve just turned 18 still must register with the Selective Service, the federal agency responsible for implementing a draft.
In 1981, the Supreme Court ruled (in Rostker v. Goldberg) that women shouldn’t have to register. At the time, women were barred from combat, so drafting them made little sense. But in 2015, the Pentagon decided to allow women in combat if they could meet the same requirements as men. Does that mean it’s time to require women to register for the draft?