Why does the US need the Selective Service?

If there were a draft again, couldn't the government get the information from other sources...such as Social Security or school offices?

Naw...they'd just go into high school graduations and hand a draft notice out with the diplomas. They don't need information. Heck, to save paper, they could just print draft notices on the backs of the diplomas. Then they wouldn't need any information. They could have buses waiting outside the ceremony to take the guys to boot camp.

Seriously: the Selective Service System is in place. The laws requiring guys to register are in place. The information is already available to the military. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Not really. The Selective Service gives them quicker access to a database of readily abled men between 18 and 26 without doing the digging through other records.

Also, it requires most if not all men in that age group to register. Which is why you just can't search school records, because many men don't continue school, and you can't go by social security records because it requires that people who may not be in the system to register too. In some cases, illegal aliens are required to register as well.

I assume that it was determined that the costs of maintaining the program are outweighed by the benefits of having all this information handy should the time come.

But efficiency is not the government's strong suit, so I can't be sure.

The selective service keeps their records separate from other government documents. In the case of a reinstitution of the draft, they must have quick access to the list of possible inductees to contact right away.

Keep in mind that, once drafted, a person must undergo 6 - 10 weeks or more of training before being battle-ready. It is important that they call-up be quick. If the draft came back, it would be because of some crisis somewhere and time would be of the essence.

Unless, of course, Bushie and the boys get more ants in their pants and decide to invade another 3rd world or Middle East country. Bush can call up the draft anytime he wants.....

All I know is that if draft does happen I'm glad I have a passport.

Well, it's kind of an ace in the hole... VERY deep in a hole. The selective service is in such deep standby as to almost be dead, but keeping it funded at some minimum level means that should the really incredible and unthinkable ever happen, there'll be some structure which to build up, instead of starting all over from scratch. That means a time and cost savings at a (hypothetical) time when both will presumably be in short supply.

So - No, we don't really need it, but if times ever changed sufficiently, it's be useful to have it, and it doesn't cost very much to hang on to it.

Federal jobs.

That's why.