Army lifts ban on cutters, mentally ill and drug abusers to meet recruiting goals

Fox News ^ | November 13, 2017 | Barnini Chakrobty

[buckalfa]

Facing low recruitment levels, the U.S. Army quietly lifted its ban on allowing people with a history of mental illness, self-mutilation and drug abuse to serve in the military – despite warnings from the industry about the risks involved.

[TADSLOS]

Ok, that made me lol.

[M-cubed]

Then again it might be a more true reflection of America's new demographics and we might actually need the manpower. <<

You said it 1st!...lets get the Draft going again....only this time we'll take the smartest ones 1st......A+ in college...We need you now....

[Fhios]

The U.S has figured out it’s going to need some suicide bombers.

[VietVet876]

I’ll second that or third it or whatever. My father got tipped by the president of the local draft board in mid 1967 that I was going to be classified 1A in a week. The next day I enlisted in the USN for four years. Lots of my boot camp shipmates were in the same situation. It was a real cross section from guys from the northeast working on advanced degrees whose grades were sub-standard to a few white guys from Texas and down south with IQ’s less than the average temperature in San Diego in January. Some East L.A. Chicanos who enlisted in lieu of jail time to an ultra religious black guy from Gary, Indiana. Everyone got along and made it through. It was a veritable melting pot and the ones I kept up with did fine in the Fleet. The hard drug uses, queers and head cases were weeded out with general or undesirable discharges. Trust me that almost no one enlisted to get the G.I. Bill bennies.

[arthurus]

The U.S. Military, counsellors of last resort.

[exDemMom]

I’m skeptical.

The Army recently downsized by ~100,000. It makes no sense for the Army to downsize so drastically (under Obama rules) and then to turn around and start recruiting the dregs of society.

[oldasrocks]

“mentally ill” now the snoflakes can be drafted?

[A Formerly Proud Canadian]

Article title: "Army lifts ban on cutters, mentally ill and drug abusers to meet recruiting goals"

Bravo! So, Oboogaloo can join the US Army!

[Clutch Martin]

I have a friend who was denied entry because he shot a few road signs with a paintball gun...

[A Formerly Proud Canadian]

Article title: "Army lifts ban on cutters, mentally ill and drug abusers to meet recruiting goals"

Bravo! So, Oboogaloo can join the US Army! "Two out of three ain't bad."

[Paine in the Neck]

The Dirty Dozen was only a movie.

[onedoug]

As a Vietnam veteran thinking that we were actually going to war in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, I notified the Army I was ready to re-up.

After seeing the fiasco that turned into, I’m glad they didn’t take the offer.

I wouldn’t recommend the service to anyone anymore.

[Secret Agent Man]

Can all the rest that joined under higher standards opt out because this puts them in danger of their own fellow workers?

[AFret.]

“Where do we get such men?”...

[grania]

This is beyond dumb. The VA will own their medical and psychological disorders for the rest of their lives.

[DUMBGRUNT]

Project 100,000, the sequel.

YES!

We usually referred to it as McNamara’s 100,000.
Some had difficulty getting the spoon from a bowl to their mouth.
Most washed out quickly.

I recall an individual that was just lacking a bit.
Whan asked why he remained he said: “if I can get an Honorable Discharge, I can get a job”.
Sad. I do hope he lived happily ever after.

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

[Professional]

My daughter is trying SOOOOO hard to enlist, she’s 20. Wants to be in Army, a MP. She’d go tomorrow...

It’s been months of work and still no word yet...

[BruceS]

The reason for the shortage of recruits (in my opinion) is not that complicated. Most of the recruits come from average, hard-working American families. But today's military allows LGBT troops, is putting women in combat jobs and is doing everything else it can to become "diverse."

I am an Army retiree, the son of a career Air Force officer (served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam), my grandfather served in WWI, two brothers served, my sister married an Air Force officer and my nephew graduated West Point and is serving at Ft. Bragg. If I had a young man come to me and ask about the military, I would tell him to find another way to serve his country right now.

[wastedyears]

I guess it’s good that I’m too old for the draft, and probably medically disqualified. I couldn’t complete basic anyway.

[GreyFriar]

Brings back memories of “McNamara’s 100,000” that drafted 100,000 category 4 men; however I don’t remember them being in the ‘bi-polar, etc’ category, just not quite as intelligent as the Army usually recruited.