Rob Schneider calls on US to restore military draft

The actor and comedian Rob Schneider has urged the US to “restore the military draft for our nation’s young people” amid the ongoing war with Iran.Posting on X, Schneider, 62, who has not served in the military, wrote:“Each and every American, at eighteen years of age, must serve two years of military service. They could also choose to serve part of that time overseas or in country in a volunteer capacity. Being a citizen of the United States gives us unparalleled Freedoms and opportunities that are the envy of the world. However, these Freedoms that we cherish do not come without a cost.”He continued, “By protecting and preserving these Freedoms, young people, regardless of race, creed or religion will be united in service to their country and just as importantly, to each other. Many Nations around the world require their young citizens to serve their country. Until recently, our Nation did as well.”Schneider also said he felt the discipline would improve the lot of those risking their lives, as “unlike in today’s universities,” the military would teach them “how truly great their country is”.The actor, best known for starring on film in the sex comedy Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo and its sequel, said that compulsory military service would mean young Americans would be “put into a rigorous physical training course that they could use for the rest of their lives”.“To the young people of America, this is your country and your future,” Schneider concluded. “We will leave this great and Free Nation in your good hands for your children and for your children’s children. God Bless the United States of America!”Schneider converted to Catholicism in 2023, when he also endorsed the then-independent candidate Robert F Kennedy in the US presidential election. Following Kennedy’s withdrawal from the race, Schneider backed Donald Trump.The actor has been vocal about the vaccine scepticism he shares with Kennedy. Last October he posted on X his belief that “there were no Children’s Hospitals when I was a kid. Because kids weren’t sick”.The US’s most recent draft ended in 1972, during the Vietnam War. Regardless of whether an active draft is in place, male citizens between the ages of 18 and 25 are still required to register through the Selective Service system.Conscription is in place in 79 countries including Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Iran, South Korea and Ukraine, as well as nine of Europe’s Nato states including Denmark, Finland and Greece.The K-pop band BTS have just staged a comeback following their mandatory military service, while notable US actors to have served in the military include Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Adam Driver, Clint Eastwood, Mel Brooks and Jimmy Stewart, whose stint in the US air force during the second world war is the focus of a forthcoming biopic.A draft is among the playbook of options open to the US as its conflict with Iran continues. Pressed on whether Trump might reinstate it in the eventuality of a ground war, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said it was “not part of the current plan right now, but the president, again, wisely keeps his options on the table.”