backdoor draft
US
: the recall of military personnel to active duty or the extension of active military duty beyond the originally contracted time in order to maintain troop strength
The Guard and the Reserve have been turned into almost active duty, and you have what is a backdoor draft that has been put into effect.— John Kerry, quoted in Federal News Service, 2 June 2004
First Known Use of backdoor draft
2003, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries near backdoor draft