So the first two years of military service will be spent getting recruits up to high school proficiency.
At one time the Army had GED classes and did GED testing so that shouldn’t be a problem.
In my opinion teens today though far more “worldly” in things like dating, sex, ETC are no where near as mature or have the sense of responsibility those of earlier generations had.
My dad was considered a man at 16, left home and went into the world. That was during the Depression. My brothers were mature, responsible, and doing the work of grown men at 16. I have a grandson that is pretty mature, responsible, and a hard worker at 16. He is not close to where my brothers were at the same age though. Maybe it is just the grandma in me but I say no to 16.
If they go back to doing the GED in service they should be able to get more recruits just from doing that.
I don’t know what they may need to do to recruit the numbers they need, they may end up taking 16 year olds. I hope not.
If you can pass the armed services tests you can pass the GED. Most 14 year olds could pass the GED out of Jr High if they had a real education.
I know old machinists dudes who had trig in the 9th grade. Along with Shakespeare. But high school wasn’t a thing in the hills of Kentucky back then.
I don’t believe most 16 y/o kids today are ready for the discipline required and most are not mentally or physically fit to qualify.
I enlisted 1 1/2 months after turning 17, in the Fall of my Sr. year of HS. This was in the Navy Air Reserve, so was a weekend warrior for a year, permitting me to finish HS and partake in a two week active duty stint with the Squadron another for an accelerated boot camp.
Went active one year later and just that 1 year of reserve service seemed to mature me a couple of years ahead of other school mates. Correspondence courses and weekend duty, permitted me to be promoted to E-2 before going active.
Then there's the likelihood that judges will use the military as an alternative to sending the kids to jail. I served with two such guys......