Marine Corps recruiters allow high-school dropouts to enlist

WSJS.com ^ | 4/19/03

[spectre]

You may not have heard of "project 100,000" in the early 70s. The military took in 100,000 high school "dropouts" that had some kind of juvenile record. It like to destoyed the military.

Turns out most of the "yout" were gangbangers and low-level drug dealers.

The junior officers and NCO's that had to deal with this scum simply could not (deal with it).

Consequently, many bases had organized gangs and heavy drug dealing/drug use.

It was nightmare for many people that tried to do the right thing. It wasn't until the early 80s that the military got a handle on it.

Since then, very few high-school dropouts are admitted - they just don't do well. And NO kids with a record and NO previous drug use. Better for everybody involved. Th modern kid with a juvenile record is NOT the same as the Ozzie and Harriet days when a kid might get caught joyriding someone elses car and get Army or jail. Different crew of juvies these days.

[Salman]

I was already aware that the rules had changed, but now I'm getting curious. When did the rules change? High school was not always a requirement.

[Blake#1]

You can do better on your own than in a Socialist, USofA hating, clasroom run by an NEA teacher. This from a teacher of 30 years.

[TalBlack]

As I recall this problem cropped up about 20 yrs ago when weapons systems became too complex for people who couldn't read WELL and comprehend. As noted above: why not let them take the ASVAB and see what shakes out?

[ExpatGator]

Sir (assuming that you are a sir),

You are correct in stating that dropouts should be given a shot at the ASVAB. I dropped out at 16 y.o., took the ASVAB at 18, and scored an 89, thereby qualifying for any job in the Navy (including the nuclear power program.) The naysayers in this thread do not understand that you cannot, in all cases, predict someone's abilities and potential by their completion of a state mandated course of study. I was a misguided stoner of a student who became one hell of a sailor, and I was not by any means an exception.

[nvcdl]

The asvab test should weed out those who can't read/write.

One could make a good case that the military should be allowed to recruit 16 year olds for some highly technical jobs that require a couple years training.

[Paul C. Jesup]

Be aware this probably applies to home schools also, it seems the Marine Corps only want brainwashed, brain-dead high schoolers.

(sarcasm)How smart of them.

[jimfree]

You are correct in stating that dropouts should be given a shot at the ASVAB. I dropped out at 16 y.o., took the ASVAB at 18, and scored an 89, thereby qualifying for any job in the Navy (including the nuclear power program.) The naysayers in this thread do not understand that you cannot, in all cases, predict someone's abilities and potential by their completion of a state mandated course of study. I was a misguided stoner of a student who became one hell of a sailor, and I was not by any means an exception.

I am having a discussion with a professional association on this topic. There are multiple ways to achieve and to demonstrate achievement. There are standards that are arbritrary and need to be identified as such and fixed. There are standards that are real and need to be honored. I've heard of lots of action by Marines in the last couple weeks and not one of my thoughts was concern over the education level of the enlisted Marines. I was thinking instead about how skilled they were with the particular piece of equipment or weapon that they were using.

[1066AD]

Exactly. There can be many reasons a kid drops out, lack of intelligence is rarely a factor. A spell in the service can do wonders, I saw it in my brother in law and also, later, in a colleague's son.

[wrbones]

The Marine Corps is not the same as it was even ten years ago. Stricter enlistment criteria were 'legislated' in 1979, becoming effective in 1980. More stringent criteria has been enacted since. As an NCO in the Marine Corps in 1980, the people enlisted under the new criteria were, as a whole, better focused and much easier to train. They were achieving competence and professionalism in half the time of most of those enlisted just a few months earlier. Problems of all kinds declined dramatically as a result of the new criteria. It....was....nice!!!!!

The image of a 'dumb' Marine is no more, if it were ever true. These people are better educated, with a surprising number of enlisted people having one or two years of college. A number of enlisted Marines actually have college degrees in a variety of disciplines. In addition, in my opinion, the Marines of today are better trained overall than any of the Marines of the past, as well.

There is no brainwashing to speak of. You learn. If you do not learn, you return to civilian life. If you do not learn, and learn well, you or your buddies lives may become endangered, even in peacetime. You learn to take care of each other. You learn teamwork. You learn leadership skills that many civilian companies would die for. You learn to show up for work on time, no matter what. You learn history, you learn to pay atttention to politics and current events. Youy learn to do the job, whatever it is, and get it done in a timely fashion and get it done right the first time. Youy learn personal hygiene. You learn to maintain yourself and your equipment. You learn responsibility. Many 20 year old Marines are responsible for tens of millions of dollars of materials and equipment. Many young Marines actually know who Kipling is, and what he wrote beyond some watered down movies will tell you. You learn how to train others. The list is, for all practical purposes, almost endless. It's not brainwashing at all. You learn things that high school and college can't and don't teach. You learn things in four years in the Marine Corps that will take you years longer to learn than in any other job in civilian life.

The subjects learned in high school have a direct bearing in the MOS you are assigned to. Mathematics and languages not being the least of them. That lack of education will affect promotions, performance and discipline within any unit they are assigned to. A high school education is necessary in view of the reality of the higher technologies in use at all levels of the Marine Corps and other services today. This includes 'basic' infantry MOS's. Not to mention that any Marine could legitimately teach a course in physical education, if they were so inclined.

What those recruiters did was wrong and against everything that they were taught and trained to do. The people who were enlisted by them should perhaps not be sent home. But that is not my decision to make. Discipline has returned to the Marine Corps, if indeed it was ever lacking.

As one poster has said, this isn't the military of days gone by.

It is indeed a new breed, but has it's history and traditions from the old, and know it.

[SENTINEL]

You are mistaken, as I understand it, the US Army will accept dropouts but the USMC will not.

[XJarhead]

Would you want to go to battle with a bunch of a**holes that wouldn't act right and that you could not trust? Our military technology has allowed great victories with light casualties in our last several conflicts. It is great. That technology wouldn't be worth crap if we didn't have good and intelligent people to run it.

High school dropouts are not all a**holes, and neither do they all act improperly or untrustworthy. I'd prefer to have as many high school grads as possible. But I had a couple of very good Marines in various units who were working on their GED's, and I'd never say that you couldn't be a good Marine unless you had a diploma.

[WaterDragon]

I wouldn't want my kids in the military with a bunch of criminals, gangsters and misfits.

[Terp]

I thought the Marines wanted them young, stupid, and gung ho. More maleable that way.

You've got to be kidding me. I've worked with Marines off and on until I retired from the Navy 6 months ago. The Marines have the best and the smartest and are the most professional of all the services on whole. What other service gives young men more responsibility then the Marines. They don't want someone who is stupid to lead others into life and death combat. They want motivated individuals not dropouts. I have the most respect for the US Marine. jwh_Denver you thought wrong.