Universal Military Service

Section 1: The responsibilities of the people being no less important to the well-being of the republic than the responsibilities of government, Congress shall pass, and the President shall sign, legislation to establish universal mandatory National Military Service. Such service shall be for a minimum period of twenty-four months, with at least six months of basic military training followed by either continued military service or in such civilian projects as Congress may designate.

Section 2: Service shall begin no later than sixty days after reaching the age of eighteen, or graduation from high school, whichever occurs last. Exemption from service shall be granted only to those having such permanent and severe physical or mental infirmities that they can fulfill no useful role or function in civilian life. Persons afflicted with lesser but still significant permanent physical or mental infirmities such that they cannot reasonably participate in military action shall be assigned appropriate other duties.

Section 3: Persons incarcerated at the time of normal induction into service shall serve the full term of their service upon release from incarceration. For the safety of the public, those inducted after incarceration shall be excused from weapons and tactical training.

Section 4: With the exception of career personnel serving a minimum initial enlistment period of at least eight years, all combat assignments shall be made by random lottery. Influencing, or attempting to influence, the assignment of any person to or away from any theater of combat operations shall be a felony punishable by maximum-security incarceration for a period, not subject to pardon, parole, suspension, commutation, or other reduction of sentence, of at least ten years.