re: #94 Belafon

Yeah, he did mention that you could be in other positions. It’s worth remembering that the world the book is set in is responding to the threat of annihilation, so of course being in the military was pretty much where able bodied people went.

That’s how you can tell those who read the book vs. those who watched the (satirical) film. In the novel, federal service was not simply serving in the military, it could be any task for which the state felt you were suitably fit. You could end serving your term of federal service as a file clerk and still become a citizen.