That is easy. Air Force and Navy, with huge budgets compared to Army, recruit a number of athletes who don’t necessarily have military aptitude. When commissioned they can hide them so they don’t harm the service. I mean the Navy is frankly a taxi service and the Air Force they just put them in logistics.
The Army does not recruit athletes. They evaluate military aptitude and accept those applicants. If the Army would recruit athletes without military aptitude soldiers would die because the military decision-making within the Army is much closer to the troops. The Army can’t afford to do that.
Some would argue that the Marine Corps is the same, but count the number of those who go to the Marines from the Naval Academy football program. Few.
Frankly that pisses me off to no end about the AF and Navy. Taxpayers paying for folks that have little military utility. I’m talking general because that is not across the board. The other thing that is pissing me off to no end is the wasteful purchasing of special uniforms for the Army Navy game. WTF...I’m paying for that crap.
In all of the above, we have lost our F-ing direction. The purpose of the Army (and Marine Corps) is to close with and destroy the enemy. The purpose of the Navy is to...well taxi shit around the world, keep trade lanes open and occasionally launch some jets and cruise missiles in support of ground operations. The purpose of the Air Force is to appear like a military service. (I jest)
The purpose of the military academies are to produce military officers, not athletes, to accomplish the above.
The AF and Navy are wasting taxpayer dollars. PERIOD.
Thanks for the 411. I did not know of the difference in athletic budgets and recruiting.
That is a good post.