Posted on 02/25/2018 7:30:23 PM PST by SeekAndFind
With all that’s going on in this report from the Free Beacon, it’s amazing that our military is still hitting all of its recruiting goals. But somehow they are.
They don’t have all that many people to pick from, however. Just as the military is entering into a period of renewed expansion, there are fewer qualified candidates and even fewer expressing an interest. According to the Pentagon, if every person in the country age 18 to 24 showed up to apply, roughly three out of four would have to be turned away because they simply couldn’t qualify.
Nearly three-quarters of young Americans are ineligible to serve in the United States military due to obesity, criminal record, or lack of education, according to a new report by the Heritage Foundation.
The contracted pool of Americans aged 17 to 24 who are fit to enlist in the armed services poses an “alarming” threat to national security and risks derailing the Trump administration’s path to rebuilding a depleted military, the report found, citing Pentagon data.
The Pentagon estimates that 24 million of the 34 million Americans between 17 and 24 years old, or 71 percent, are unable to serve.
Health problems are the greatest obstacle to military service, with more than half of the young people who are ineligible for service suffering from a health issue.
This is particularly bad news at the moment because the Army is getting ready to recruit up to 80,000 new soldiers in the coming two years. The Navy isn’t quite as hard up, but they’re going to need 30,000 more sailors. All of this recruiting will be required to expand the service in line with the plans put in place by President Trump.
So what is disqualifying so many of them? For the majority, it’s health issues. Of those, more than half are too obese to be accepted. (The Army is saying they’ll take you if you’re “a little chubby” but if you’re seriously obese there won’t be time in basic training to whip you into shape.) Others are showing up with joint problems, respiratory ailments and related issues. Others failed to graduate high school or get an equivalent degree and are refused entry until they can meet the educational standards.
Other people hoping to enlist have criminal records. If it’s a couple of minor items you can sometimes get a waiver, but if you’ve run up any sort of serious criminal background they have to reject you. (As they should.) This is a big change from the bad old days of the Vietnam War when it was still not all that uncommon for a judge at sentencing to offer a defendant a choice of jail or boot camp.
The other problem the military is facing is a rather ironic one. Unemployment is nearing historic lows at the moment and that’s traditionally when fewer people turn to the military for a career. If better paying (and, frankly, less dangerous) jobs are plentiful, fewer young people are looking to the armed services as a better and more secure alternative to stocking shelves at Walmart. But with luck, enough of the truly dedicated and patriotic ones will keep their noses clean, work themselves into shape and volunteer to serve their nation.
That’s my point, you’ve got kid here, darkened by their prior experience with drugs, child abuse, whatever; the military need to meet these kids halfway. Because some of them are the most bright and talented people of all. Don’t drop standards, give them a chance. With the understanding that military prison is the consequence of screwing up.
But when I graduated from BCT I was skinny and could bench press a Buick.The Army was certainly able to get *me* in shape...although I didn't particularly enjoy the process.
American Socialists don’t join the Military.
What’s more dangerous, a Millenial with a Rifle or a Millenial with a Voter Registration Form?
Fat boys need exercise..
I was one of those kids. It was quick. One day I was in court, 2 days later in an Army physical in LA and off to Ft Ord same day.
Weed is a problem because as states legalize it, use becomes normalized and Soldiers rationalize that if it's legal I should be able to use it. Even though it's against military policy.
Sadly we are not kicking out repeat offenders due to serious manpower shortages and low enlistment rates even with 20G enlistment bonuses for some positions.
We might well need the draft since, in addition to the unable, we now also have the unwilling. Men who looked forward to joining the service after high school aren’t so anxious anymore to be part of a service where guys marry guys and ‘it’s’ are welcome. Obama put the people in place to make the services less attractive and much more PC.
For the majority, it’s health issues. Of those, more than half are too obese to be accepted.
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Maybe the FedGov should reverse the disastrous “everything low-fat .. eat WAY more grains” mantra they started around 1970 or so... all it’s done is cause diabetes ,, obesity and cancer.
My guess (hope?) is that this could be perhaps good news for our newer Veterans, who might be in the job market.
you be very happy in Stalin‘s soviet union
Kids are not the same as they were in the 60’s. Why should the military be expected to fix this morass. How come the kids skate through high school
fat and dumb? Kick the can down the road let the military fix this.
The military can’t change society and political mandates.
Hunnish feminism and Free Trade, or How to Lay Waste to a Once Moral Nation.
. I live in Chicago where criminals are bonded out within 24 hrs. There is no truth in sentencing. Any cop will tell you criminals control the streets in Chicago.
And why practice fighting, when they can relax and compare new tattoos and body jewelry after sharing a spleef of ganja?
Slow speed, high drag.
Bkmk
Our government arrests and imprisons too many people.
Have you taken a stroll through the 'hood or the barrio lately?
Not to mention some of the 18-25 yr. olds I have met, have minds of 11-14 yr. olds.
Did one tour in recruiting; one day a mother came in the office and told the recruiters she brought her son down to join the Navy. They looked out the window and asked her ‘Is that him running across the parking lot?’ It was.
If they pass -- they're off to boot camp.
If they flunk, they get another four weeks.
Repeat as required...
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