SAN DIEGO (June 5, 2012)—Republican Mitt Romney is calling for a stronger, active American military, but he avoided military service at the height of the Vietnam War.

Romney sought and received four draft deferments from 1965 to 1970 while in college and during his time as a Mormon missionary in France.

As a presidential candidate in 2007, he said he had "longed" to be in Vietnam, but his actions, Selective Service records and previous statements showed he had little interest in joining the violent conflict.