Posted on 07/21/2019 8:27:59 AM PDT by Towed_Jumper
As the Army, Navy and other services contend with a thriving economy and a directive to expand their ranks, there is a growing debate over whether the military should consider lowering the minimum enlistment age from 17 to 16. More than a dozen countries, including the United Kingdom, already have adopted the policy.
Critics say the idea is deeply flawed and presents a host of societal problems, but supporters argue that the Pentagon needs to think outside the box if it wants to continually overcome one of the toughest recruiting environments in decades.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Bankwalker has a point. I’d say get them started early with the 401k program and you’re on your way in life. Although it may be too early maturity wise a 2 year enlistment will set them up for a 1-2 year trade school. STEAL them from the teachers unions. When the 2 years are up then they’re in a much better position (at 18) to decide which direction they want to go. It starts with a GED and/or intelligence tests that show an ability to learn.
McNamara’s 100 Thousand. (called McNamara’s Morons with good reason) was while the draft was in effect.
DO NOT bring back the draft - I worked with draftees. For the most part - worthless. The days for the need of massive armies is over.
How about we pull back from some of the 161 countries we currently have forces in now?
A small military? It could work....
“Old enough to fight, old enough to vote”. That was the argument used for lowering voting to age 18
You want 16 year olds voting?
That E1 pay includes room, board, medical, and many other benefits so that more than makes the difference.
Though many earning the $15 now days still get room, board, possibly medical plus from mom so maybe not.
18 should be the minimum age. I don’t want to see 17 or 16 year old kids in the military.
Free room and board. I know, we always bitched when they gave us the printouts of what our “actual pay” was. Seems like there’s never enough money. But if you run out , they still feed you.
My story as well except that it was the Navy. Man, those guys were old! I don't think this plan is anything more than a stopgap measure. If you want more recruits out of a dwindling pool, make the military more attractive, in my opinion with far less social programming and engineering, more education benefits, higher pay.
Most of these factors are under civilian control, not military, and the Secretary of Defense ordering the JCS to make the military more attractive is an exercise in futility. Perhaps fewer overseas deployments might help relieve the strain? Perhaps reducing our collective defense commitments might be in order? (Trump certainly got that one right). Perhaps civilian leadership should stop the stupidity of making the services a haven for "protected classes" and start making them safe for everybody?
The age to serve should be the same as the age to drink.
Reinstate the draft. It’s just that simple.
Nope. The modern military is highly skilled and needs a certain level to maintain itself. National service is a communist ideal. Not interested
They already contract out and hire civilians for that as much as possible.
They should tighten up college loans, a stint in the service would do most potential college students good.
I remember a 17 year old,, a 28 year old and a 29 year old in Bssic. (USAF, 1981) The 17 year old was an immature pain in the ass, but he shaped up. The 28 year old was a religious guy...after a couple of weeks, we were getting our asses chewed by a TI, and said there was only one of us he’d trust with his life, and we knew without him saying, who it was. The 29 year old was a hillbilly with a. Ad attitude that got recycled into our squad. Worthless. I’d say it’s kind of a crapshoot, but I don’t think I’d want a bunch of guys aged 16-18.
When a school like DoD itself puts your child on adderall, Satatterra or other meds for ADD/ADHD your kid will need two waivers. This happen to my son who is 28 and has tried to get the waiver since he was 21. This past month he cleared most of the hurdles with the USMC and Army.
I doubt he will ever get into the military. Clean record, two years college but identified with an attention deficit....
My Brother-in-law was Special Forces and now 76 with Altimers was medicated in Jan 2019 and turned into a vegetable; we took him off the meds and he returned to state where he talks, walks, and dresses himself and does not mess the bathroom.
Our Society is MEDICATING people for convenience of the those who entrust to their care for medical, education, etc.
The State has become an evil empire.
That was a problem on some the big ships in WWII.
Exactly!
The school environment needs to swing from the decades long negative over to the positive. There can be no doubt about where Hillary's popular vote came from. There should be a nation-wide structured effort to extoll the greatness of our nation and its many achievements and instill a sense of patriotic duty.
Rather than enlist 16 yr olds for active duty, each high school should maintain an active reserve contingent of one or more of the service branches. Make that, perhaps starting at the sophomore level, the thing the "cool kids" do.
Not all would go on to active duty upon HS graduation, of course, and those looking for immediate employment would have something of interest to prospective employers.
I myself quite high school my junior year, 1973 when the Army announced VOLAR, and I 17, going airborne and making my first jump on my 18th birthday! I retired a first sergeant 20 years later, having served in the 82d over 10 years and elsewhere. The Army got us all our GEDs before basic training while imporcessing in Jan 74. I think 17 is about the right age.
Start up the draft again is a plus. Id love to see that guy who said “F the service” in the yt video, on his first week of boot camp.
Most here (myself included) view 14 as far to young. And frankly, 15 and 16 as well IMO. I joined at 17 and I turned out just fine. Vietnam never affected me. Affected me.
Curmudgeon vet here. No way. Just reinstate draft for 18-26 year olds and maybe get some of these useless millenials squared away.
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