I think if he’d come in during the 1980s....they would have sat down in boot camp or during his technical training phase and admitted that he just couldn’t make it, and let him go. Because of the need for more troops....they’ve eased standards.
The Air Force had this young lady who’d made it through basic training and was up to the tenth week of technical training, and this odd occurrence came up where she just wasn’t passing tests. They looked at her notes...which were unreadable. Then they asked her....can anyone read this? And she responded with “Wanda”.
The instructor went through the rooster of folks in the class, and other classes, and there wasn’t any “Wanda”.
So the instructor asked who was this “Wanda” and the young lady pointed to a unmanned table in the room...where “Wanda” sat. It was her imaginary friend. The instructor and his captain ran quickly up to the commander. The commander comes back to the room....asks three or four questions, and asks the young lady and the instructor to come with him to the base hospital. She was discharged within two weeks.
If she had just passed this test phase....she would have gone on. For months and years....maybe an entire career....she would have had this imaginary friend going with her...even into combat.
Yes, they have. It has hurt us in many different ways.
SPC Morlock.
PFC Bradley Manning
PFC Steven Greene.
All 'moral' waivers prior to entering the military. This isn't WWII where we need bodies.
In the old days, Manning would have been laughed out of the recruiting station.