evidence: For generations, American men have been federally required to register with the Selective Service System once they turn 18, making them eligible for the military draft. Presently, the U.S. maintains all-volunteer armed forces, and the most recent Selective Service conscription came to an end in 1973 as the Vietnam War drew to a close. In the half-century since, however, large-scale U.S. military actions abroad have sporadically raised fears that men aged 18 through 25 will be called up to serve. [...] The exaggerated claims were based on a headline about the U.S. House of Representatives last week passing a version of the annual National Defense Authorization Act that included a provision for automating Selective Service registration of American men aged 18 through 25. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, a Pennsylvania Democrat, sponsored the measure as a way to save taxpayer money and help young men avoid the penalties they face for not registering. Currently, the Selective Service System spends millions of dollars on programs to raise compliance rates, which have nonetheless slipped in recent years, in part because federal student loan applications no longer include the option to sign up.