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77% of US youth unqualified for military service
Asia Times ^

Posted on 09/06/2023 4:00:24 AM PDT by FarCenter

The US military faces an unprecedented recruitment crisis, with health, education, political and societal challenges undermining the force’s combat readiness against near-peer adversaries including China.

In March 2023, American Military News reported that a 2020 Pentagon study revealed that 77% of young Americans do not qualify for military service without a waiver due to drug abuse mental or physical problems, or being overweight.

The most prevalent disqualification rates were being overweight (11%), drug and alcohol abuse (8%) and medical/physical health (7%), with the most significant increases in disqualification estimates observed between 2013 and 2020 were for mental health and overweight conditions.

American Military News mentions that the US Department of Defense (DOD) has acknowledged the challenges of recruiting new military members, citing factors such as youth being more disconnected and disinterested compared to previous generations.

(Excerpt) Read more at asiatimes.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: dod; military; youth
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1 posted on 09/06/2023 4:00:24 AM PDT by FarCenter
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To: All

Americans probably don’t want to get blown up for a country that hates them.


2 posted on 09/06/2023 4:09:08 AM PDT by escapefromboston (Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none.)
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To: FarCenter

So you line up 100 18-year old kids, and right off the bat....77 are disqualified.

From the remainder (23)...at least ten aren’t willing to participate in a woke-military.

So from the final thirteen...ten will not have the IQ required for the situation. So you end up with three potential recruits.

Oh, and by the way...one of the recruits is a far left liberal type.


3 posted on 09/06/2023 4:11:38 AM PDT by pepsionice
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To: pepsionice

Deep State is doing the same to ensure similar results for state and local law enorcement.


4 posted on 09/06/2023 4:16:48 AM PDT by mewzilla (Never give up; never surrender!)
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To: mewzilla

...enforcement...


5 posted on 09/06/2023 4:17:06 AM PDT by mewzilla (Never give up; never surrender!)
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To: FarCenter

In addition, I think it is a generational trait for a lot of young people that they believe they are always right, their opinion is more important than your facts, and they have a right to argue with you about everything.

Normally, a tough drill sergeant in basic training might dissuade a recruit from having that kind of attitude. But I’m not sure basic training today involves a lot of yelling or psychological shocks.

As long as our military does mostly drone work from within the pentagon, we might be OK. But boots on the ground in the near future? I think it will go very badly for us. Today’s military is what it used to be. The sergeant says “Take that hill!” and the platoon says, “But sarge, I have a better idea ...”


6 posted on 09/06/2023 4:23:14 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (They say "Our Democracy" but they mean Cosa Nostra.)
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To: pepsionice

“Oh, and by the way...one of the recruits is a far left liberal type.”

That one has already been disqualified. Mental health clause.


7 posted on 09/06/2023 4:36:10 AM PDT by JudyinCanada
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To: pepsionice

Oh, they are going all out to not only attract that 77% who are unsuitable, they are watering down the requirements, mental, physical, and legal.

The US Navy even made a disgusting tranny the face of their service to attract them.

As you said, the 23% who would be suitable are solid enough to understand the lay of the land in today’s woke military.


8 posted on 09/06/2023 4:46:16 AM PDT by rlmorel ("If you think tough men are dangerous, just wait until you see what weak men are capable of." JBP)
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To: FarCenter

Given our military woke “leadership”, methinks that the 77% will fit perfectly, and the remaining 23% would be ideal for the days when our military wasn’t run by poofs.


9 posted on 09/06/2023 4:52:57 AM PDT by Da Coyote
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To: FarCenter

Why are so many of the Baby Boomers conservative and patriotic? I think part of the reason is, until the late ‘60’s when the hippies were becoming teachers, we were taught by veterans of WWII. Since, probably 1969 each new generation of teachers has been more socialist and anti-American. Transgenderism, the alphabet people surge, and “diversity” may be, at least in part, a way of making America mundane. Certainly, anyone who buys into any part of that list is not military material. The very first thing we need to do is recapture Big Education. I don’t see even the beginnings of a movement to do that. I see some noises here and there, but the primary target should be The Department of Education.


10 posted on 09/06/2023 4:57:33 AM PDT by Gen.Blather (Wait! I said that out loud? )
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To: FarCenter
Pentagon data shows only 9% of people aged between 16-21 would consider military service, down from 13% before the Covid-19 pandemic.

I wouldn’t either.

After the Take the Jab or get a Less than Honorable Discharge fiasco why would anyone who likes their good health and life join the military.

11 posted on 09/06/2023 4:59:56 AM PDT by Pontiac (The welfare state must fail because it is contrary to human nature and diminishes the human spirit.)
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To: Gen.Blather

When I was growing up, all the dads on the street were WWII or Korea vets. My dad was an Army medic. Most of them worked for an oil company or a support industry. On the 4th of July, every house had an American flag out front. These were the men that raised us.


12 posted on 09/06/2023 5:01:15 AM PDT by Texas resident (We are living through Barak's fundamental transformation)
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To: FarCenter

This is just excuse making because people don’t want to sign up for the woke military. They could get the fatties in shape if that were the hangup. They’ve done it before. Sure, it may mean fat camp before boot camp. So what?

People are CHOOSING not to join, not vice versa.


13 posted on 09/06/2023 5:03:13 AM PDT by FLT-bird
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To: FarCenter

“77% of young Americans do not qualify for military service without a waiver due to drug abuse mental or physical problems, or being overweight.”
_________________

The downside of prosperity....the spoiling of generations of people. This is why nations do not last forever. We are witnessing the downfall.

When I see pictures of thousands of young military aged men coming across the border I get very uncomfortable.


14 posted on 09/06/2023 5:09:56 AM PDT by xenia ( “The further a society drifts from truth the more it will hate those who speak it” George Orwell)
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To: Texas resident

“These were the men that raised us.”

I was talking to a dad at the gym. He lamented his teenage son had no purpose or aim in life. I suggested he target the son at a recruiting office and after a brief stint in the military the kid would be more mature, had seen the world and would be ready to decide what direction he wanted to take in life. His energetic and negative response of, “Well, I’d hope he could find something better than THAT!” took me by surprise. He seemed like your normal, average guy. Problem is I think he IS the normal, average guy.


15 posted on 09/06/2023 5:12:42 AM PDT by Gen.Blather (Wait! I said that out loud? )
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To: FarCenter

Asia Times is a Hong Kong based company and is guaranteed to print what Xi Jing Ping tells them to print.

Yes, our recruitment pool has it’s problems but the biggest one it has is no right minded kid including his/her parents want their kid going in Biden/Milleys and Ping’s Woke military and this article is just trying to obfuscate that fact.


16 posted on 09/06/2023 5:15:22 AM PDT by Cen-Tejas
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To: FarCenter

Our country is in deep trouble....


17 posted on 09/06/2023 5:19:20 AM PDT by JBW1949 (I'm really PC.....Patriotically Correct)
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To: escapefromboston

Ever seen those commercials for Wounded Warrior Project? Seeing those broken up veterans might be a little discouraging too. It might be a good cause, but not good advertisement for recruitment, and they’re on tv all the time.


18 posted on 09/06/2023 5:21:50 AM PDT by virgil (The evil that men do lives after them )
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To: FarCenter

The American military numbers ~ 2,060,195
The American population numbers say 330,000,000

The military is thus only ~ .6% of the population that has 3% military grade youths


19 posted on 09/06/2023 5:22:14 AM PDT by bert ( (KWE. NP. N.C. +12) Joe Biden is a kleptocrat)
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To: FarCenter

If you or your kid is in any way to the right on the political spectrum then absolutely do not sign up for any branch of the military.
They hate you, and they’ll make sure you know it.
Let the military remain the leftist freakshow it is.


20 posted on 09/06/2023 5:22:47 AM PDT by Buck-Toothed Knuckle Dragger
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