Why Your Height Could Keep You Out of a WW3 Draft
Updated 14:28 19 Sep 2026 GMT+1Published 10:18 16 Jan 2026 GMT
This would remain the worst case scenario, but there are downsides to being tall
Warnings over World War Three getting closer have been sounded in response to recent Russian provocation and the concern from intelligence services that they'll end up trying a 'limited attack' on NATO soil.
The UK is not currently at war with Russia, though with Vladimir Putin warning Russians to 'be prepared for anything' and refusing to rule out strikes on NATO there's a reason why people are worried.
Poland has warned that Russia would stage an 'accidental' drone strike on Europe to test whether NATO would respond or let it happen 'in the next few months'.
Various other countries on the continent have warned about rising tensions and escalating action, and while the UK government has said it's not planning on introducing conscription the idea has been suggested by others outside the government.
Advert
With various warnings that the UK is not ready to fight a larger scale war the issue of potential conscription in a worst-case scenario remains a concern as something the government does not want to do but may be forced to do should the world end up a certain way.
The armed forces have some height requirements (Richard Baker / In Pictures via Getty Images)
As such, there's been a lot of interest in exactly how one would get out of such an arrangement where their country demands military service of them.
There are some people who would be exempt and ways out of it depending on one's job or health status.
Some folks at LADbible Towers have been wondering aloud how their young, healthy selves might have some way out in the event of conscription but thus far have not been able to find convincing reasons beyond their knee hurting a bit from a football injury.
However, one way out may be height, as the British Army has a minimum height requirement of 4'10 (147cm), so the shortest of short kings might escape conscription, should catastrophe engulf the globe.
Under 4'10? You might be alright (ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, the Royal Navy allows you to be a little bit shorter than that at 4'9 (145cm), though across the various branches of armed forces, some jobs have a specific minimum height requirement.
You'll need to be a bit taller if you want to fly a plane or be a crew member on board a submarine, and it's quite a difficult thing to qualify for if you've overshot it, you'll have a hard time making yourself shorter.
Perhaps the real goal ought to be hoping there won't be a World War Three, and none of this conscription stuff would ever be necessary.
Featured Image Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Topics: Army, UK News, World News