Crossword Genius

Conscript close to firefight feared being shot (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

draftee

'conscript' is the definition.
(synonyms)

'close to firefight feared being shot' is the wordplay.
'close to' indicates one should take the final letters (the close/ending of).
'being shot' is an anagram indicator.
The last letter of 'firefight' is 't'.
't'+'feared'='tfeared'
'tfeared' with letters rearranged gives 'DRAFTEE'.

(Other definitions for draftee that I've seen before include "One forced to join" , "Rookie" , "US conscript" , "Soldier, perhaps unwilling" , "American military conscript" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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