I was in the advanced portion of Air Force ROTC at NCSU when the first drawing of the lottery was held. My lottery number came out 313. I went to the Commandant of Cadets and requested a departure from the program. I was informed that I had two choices: stay in the program and receive a commission, or be ordered to active duty as an enlisted member of the Air Force.
Needless to say, I stayed in the program and received a commission upon graduation. I took a Palace Option plan and was sent to Seymour Johnson Air Force base for a brief period, then placed in the inactive reserve.
The irony of the situation is that after going on to dental school, I later rejoined the Air Force reserve, 20 years after graduating from NCSU. I am now the Dental Commander of a large Air Force reserve unit, and have been in for 17 years.
Very unusual how things happen.
[Ed. note: the Palace Option, offered by the Air Force when manpower needs were being met, allowed men to go into inactive reserve after a brief time on active duty, usually three months.]