Why Didn’t Joe Biden Serve in the Military? Deferments Explained

As a gamer with a keen interest in history and politics, I find myself often drawn into the intricacies of the lives of influential figures like President Joe Biden. His journey, much like the questlines in my favorite games, is filled with twists, turns, and moments that shape his destiny.


Lately, there’s been a lot of discussion about why President Joe Biden did not enlist in the U.S. military. As interest resurfaces in his draft history, many are delving into the circumstances that led to his deferments and exemptions during the Vietnam War period.

So, why didn’t President Joe Biden join the US military? Here are all the details.

Why didn’t Joe Biden join the US military?

Joe Biden didn’t join the US military because of his medical history with asthma as a teenager.

During his time at college, he was granted five postponements from military service. First, as an undergraduate student, and later on, as a law student.

In April 1968, Biden had a medical checkup that classified him as “1-Y,” meaning he was ready for military duty only during a national emergency. This categorization stemmed from his teenage asthma history. Later in 2008, Biden’s draft records became public, showing that his deferments were initially because of his academic studies and subsequently due to health concerns.

It has been suggested on social media that President Biden used his asthma diagnosis as an excuse to avoid military service, despite his active lifestyle playing football and working as a lifeguard during high school. However, this claim is misleading, as it fails to consider that Biden’s deferments started while he was in school. His asthma diagnosis, which confirmed his exemption from the draft, came after his last student deferment in January 1968.

During Biden’s vice-presidential campaign in 2008, questions about his military draft deferments resurfaced. His representatives then clarified that the deferments were initially granted because he was a student and later due to a medical classification of 1-Y after his 1968 physical examination. The 1-Y status meant Biden could only be drafted in case of a national emergency, but this ended in 1971.

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2024-08-09 16:42