Q: Who is the last military draftee still serving?

By Lori Johnston

For the AJC

Q: Who is the last military draftee still serving? 
—Ray Christian, Loganville

A: Army Command Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey Mellinger, who was drafted on April 18, 1972, is believed to be the last active-duty draftee serving in the Army. “I’m a relic,” Mellinger told Time magazine earlier this year. Command Sgt. Maj. Leon E. Caffie, who was drafted on April 2, 1970, retired in October as the Army Reserve’s top enlisted soldier, according to the Department of Defense.

Q: Some of Atlanta’s past mayors served two-year terms instead of the present four-year terms. What led to the change? —Lance DeLoach, Thomaston

A: Through the 1930s, mayors served terms of one year or two years, said Michael Leo Owens, associate professor in the department of political science at Emory University. The variation in years was a result of variations in politics, with the general sentiment being that turnover was a good thing and a means of fighting the formation of entrenched political interests in City Hall, he said. Owens said the extension of mayoral terms eventually was deemed a positive reform and a means of fostering “good government.” At one time, mayors could serve as long as they kept being re-elected. Reforms to Atlanta’s charter restricted mayors to two consecutive four-year terms, for a total of eight consecutive years. After eight years, mayors can’t run again until four years have passed.

Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer.Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).