[2ndDivisionVet]

When you’re kicked out of the service early in basic training you either have a physical problem that they didn’t catch at the physical or more likely, a mental defect of some kind. I know that all the trainees kicked out during my time in basic were fruitloops, not people with regular health problems. They missed me somehow. LOL

[umgud]

The Army must have changed. I was drafted in 1969. At the physical they asked me if I could hear the ligtning and see the thunder. I said what? They said “yer good to go.”

[norton]

Absolutely agree, my junk knees got through from basic to airborne largely due to the support of instructors, sustained by tons of ACE bandages.
Sadly, some of the wacko's also got through due simply to numbers and workload.

PS: I own an example of the Mossberg .22 shown on the BSA handbook; they built great target .22s and are probably still cheap to own.