[voicereason]

If the American military could be manned and operated effectively with unskilled, uneducated peons, speaking dozens of various languages but no English, with little to zero exposure to technology and advanced thinking of modern culture, and of questionable (illegal) morals and character, and God knows what national loyalties and with what security risks, then we could do much better just lowering our standards for Americans.

The French Foreign Legion figured out how to do it. And they certainly aren't a 'soft' group.

[ansel12]

The French Foreign Legion is extraordinarily selective in recruiting.

While the many, many 1000s of men from around the world showing up to apply annually are already self-selective as the kind of men any fighting unit would want, the Legion only accepts about 8 to 13% to try out for being the tiny number they accept.

You are incredibly mistaken to think they are desperate for bodies instead they are completely in the driver’s seat.