Training the Soldier

Explore photographs, textual, and other records related to training the soldier in World War I in our Catalog.

There are more than 110,000 World War I photographs in the National Archives Catalog.

• American Unofficial Collection of World War I Photographs, 1917 - 1918 
  • Browse by Folder Title or Browse all Items

Interested in further online research?  Visit the National Archives Catalog to begin your own search.

While many resources are available online for research, there are many more records to discover in National Archives research rooms across the country. The following records have been described at the Series and File Unit level, but have not yet been digitized. This list is not exhaustive; please consult our Catalog to browse more records, and contact the Reference Unit listed in each description for more information. 

• War Department. Air Corps. Offutt Field, Nebraska. Operation Orders, 1929-1939

• War Department. Air Service. Aviation Examining Board, Kansas City (Missouri). Correspondence, 1917-1918

• War Department. Air Service. U.S. Army Balloon School, Fort Omaha, Nebraska. General Correspondence, 1918-1921

• War Department. Air Service. U.S. Army Balloon School, Fort Omaha, Nebraska. General Orders, 1917-1921

• War Department. Air Service. U.S. Army Balloon School, Fort Omaha, Nebraska. Special Orders, 1917-1921

• War Department. Division of Military Aeronautics. U.S. Army Balloon School, Fort Crook, Nebraska. Correspondence, 1918-1919

• War Department. Division of Military Aeronautics. U.S. Army Balloon School, Fort Omaha, Nebraska. Correspondence Relating to Flying Cadet Detachment, 1918-1918

• War Department. Division of Military Aeronautics. U.S. Army Balloon School, Fort Omaha, Nebraska. Orders and Memoranda, 1918-1919

• War Department. Division of Military Aeronautics. U.S. Army Balloon School, Fort Omaha, Nebraska. Reports, Rosters, Data Sheets, Returns, and Other Records Relating to Balloon Companies and Cadet Companies at Fort Omaha, NE, 1918-1919

• War Department. Office of the Chief Signal Officer. Signal Corps Detachment, David Ranken Jr School of Mechanical Trades. Unregistered Correspondence, Telegrams, Student Records, and Other Papers, 1918-1918

• War Department. Office of the Chief Signal Officer. Signal Corps Detachment, David Ranken Jr School of Mechanical Trades. Correspondence Relating to School Operations, 1918-1918

• War Department. Office of the Chief Signal Officer. Signal Corps Detachment, David Ranken Jr School of Mechanical Trades. Register of Correspondence, 1918-1918

• Camps and Forts in U.S., World War I, 1916 - 1917

• Army Reserve Officer Training Camp Rosters, 1917 - 1919

• Discharge From the Draft Records, 11/10/1918 - 11/15/1918

Background

The WWI draft registration cards consist of approximately 24,000,000 cards of men who registered for the draft, about 23% of the population in 1918.  The cards are arranged by state.  Not all of the men who registered for the draft actually served in the military, and not all who served in the military registered for the draft.

The WWI Selective Service System was in place from May, 1917 to May, 1919.  There were 3 registrations:

1. June 5, 1917 -- all men ages 21-31
2. June 5, 1918 -- those who attained age 21 after June 5, 1917
3. Sept. 12, 1918 -- all men ages 18-45

What Can You Find in the Cards?

While the 10-12 questions varied slightly between the 3 registrations, information one can find there generally includes:

• full name
• date and place of birth
• race
• citizenship status
• occupation and place of employment
• personal description
• nearest relative (last two versions)
• signature

The draft cards contain no information about an individual's military service.  They are not service cards.  Learn more about the draft registration cards

View Registration Cards Online

World War I Draft Registration Cards, digitized on the FamilySearch website (free)

World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, digitized on the Ancestry.com website (free on NARA computers, otherwise by subscription)

Additional Resources

International Researchers "Jazzed" about Southeast Region's WWI Draft Registration Cards, NARA news item

Selected World War I Draft Registration Cards of the Famous, Infamous, and Interesting, from the National Archives at Atlanta

Explore teaching and learning resources for World War I, including primary sources, online tools, lesson plans, and multimedia.

• Find primary sources and online activities for teaching World War I on DocsTeach.org, our online tool for teaching with documents.
• The National Archives has partnered with the United States World War One Centennial Commission, the National World War I Museum & Memorial, and other partner organizations to present a collection of World War I Education Resources.

• The Army in the Woods, Prologue Magazine, Summer 2014

• Shooting World War I: The History of the Army Signal Corps Cameramen, 1917-1918, The Unwritten Record blog

• Hidden Women: The Art of WWI Camouflage (Photos), The Unwritten Record blog

• World War I: A Soldier's Story exhibit on Google Cultural Institute