The Selective Service is looking for men and women in Limestone County who might be willing to serve as members of local Selective Service boards and represent their community, according to a press release.

A Selective Service local board is a group of five citizen volunteers whose mission, upon a draft, will be to decide who among the registrants in their community will receive deferments, postponements, or exemption from military service based on the individual registrant’s circumstances and beliefs.

Local board members are volunteers nominated by the state governor, and appointed by the director of the Selective Service System on behalf of the U.S. president.

“They play an important community role closely connected with our nation’s defense,” the release said.

Board member requirements include:

• Must be 18 or older;

• Must be a citizen of the United States;

• Men must have registered with Selective Service, except those born from March 29, 1957 through Dec. 31, 1959;

• Must not be a member of law enforcement occupation as defined by Selective Service policy (e.g. police officer or judge);

• Must not be an active or retired career member of the Armed Forces or Reserves or National Guard; and

• Must not have been convicted of any criminal offense

During peacetime

The program is one of the primary components of the Selective Service System.

More than 11,000 volunteers are currently trained in Selective Service regulations and procedures so that if a draft is reinstated, they will be able to fulfill their obligations fairly and equitably.

Board members undergo an initial eight-hour training session and then participate in annual training in which they review sample cases similar to real-life situations.

During a draft

Registrants with low lottery numbers will be ordered to report for a physical, mental, and moral evaluation at a Military Entrance Processing Station to determine whether they are fit for military service.

Once he is notified of the results of the evaluation, a registrant will be given 10 days to file a claim for exemption, postponement, or deferment. At that time, board members will begin reviewing and deciding the outcome of the individual registrant’s case. They may personally interview the registrant and persons who know him to gain a better understanding of his situation.

For more information and to download an application, visit https://www.sss.gov/Volunteers/Board-Member-Program, https://utilities.sss.gov/IMISPublic/BM/BMInquiryAdd.aspx or contact Alabama Reserve Force Officer, Maj. Erik Dofelmier, USAFR, at Erik.Dofelmier@sss.gov.