Marine Corps recruiters allow high-school dropouts to enlist

WSJS.com ^ | 4/19/03

[Libloather]

A military investigator says Marine Corps recruiters were wrong in allowing high-school dropouts to enlist after getting diplomas after taking one take-home test. The Marine Corps report completed last week says 17 recruiters at offices in Winston-Salem, Greensboro and Hickory acted with degrees of negligence and misconduct.

[Libloather]

The radio report mentioned that all of the recruits were told to go home while they were in the middle of basic training.

[El Gato]

I thought the Marines and Army were able to accept a limited number of folks without high school diplomas. Of course your career choices are about limited to infantry and cook, but they do need fair numbers of both of those.

[AdamSelene235]

Is there any correlation between high school and literacy?

[teokee]

They can go to hollwood and be whatever

[1stFreedom]

IMO, a HS diploma is not necessary.

HOWEVER, the ability to join should be contingent on continuing the education to at least get a HS diploma.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

What's the big deal? The military should allow high-school dropouts older than 17 to enlist. Let them take the ASVAB and see where it goes from there.

[Drew68]

It used to be that dropouts were almost expected to enlist in the military. I can even remember hearing about situations where people facing jail time were given the option of enlisting in the military.

I think this was the case from WWII through Vietnam.

[ServesURight]

Great. So now these losers will become non-productive members of society when they could have had the chance to make something of themselves.

High school diplomas aren't worth the Kleenex I just used to blow my nose.

[XJarhead]

What's the big deal? The military should allow high-school dropouts older than 17 to enlist. Let them take the ASVAB and see where it goes from there.

It's not as much the academics as it is the demonstrated ability of someone to see something through to completion. That's a sign of maturity.

[BossLady]

True! Many actors and musicians never finished high school...which could explain their political ignorance IMHO.

[17th Miss Regt]

Don't forget Canadian news anchors!

[SJSAMPLE]

I've seen, first-had, exactly what happens when high school dropouts are allowed to enlist; For the majority, they spend the first year at their duty stations learning to read, write and perform basic math functions. Posts have to set up basic educational programs (BSEP) to do that job that America's publik skool sistum messed up. This means that instead of becoming proficient at their assigned duties, they're spending valuable training time sitting in a remedial classroom.

Requiring recruits to complete the most elemental educational requirements (even in the USA) is not only a good idea, it should be mandatory. When an individual knows that he/she must pass high school before enlisting, there's significant pressure to graduate.

[Tailback]

That's terrible, these recruits shouldn't have been punished for a recruiter's stupidity. Simply tell them that they have until their first enlistment ends to get a GED. When I was in the regular Army there was a grace period for guys with no HS diploma to get their GED. If you didn't have the diploma or GED you couldn't reenlist.

[Paul Atreides]

That means that 75% of Hollywood can enlist.

[jwh_Denver]

Is there any correlation between high school and literacy?

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

[The KG9 Kid]

"... The radio report mentioned that all of the recruits were told to go home while they were in the middle of basic training."

I can imagine that there are some Drill Instructors out there who would like a piece of that recruiter.

[Jack Armstrong]

Can we please see a show of hands , ...
"How many out there know someone who joined the Marines during the VietNam era , because a judge told them go back to high school or join the service ? ? For crying out loud we have been accepting men in the armed services for years as a negotiated alternative to "PRISON"... so it's ok to let criminals in the Marines ? Any way 37% of all High School graduates couldn't even take the AAFES exam because they were illiterate .... Duhhh!
Besides Uncle Sam ( I Guarantee ! )
Will teach those "BOYS" more than public schools they may or may not have attended!
Give them the opportunity to attend college .
And learn more about the "REAL WORLD" than a UNION full of leftist socialist pinko NEA teachers ever thought about trying to teach .

[AAABEST]

HOWEVER, the ability to join should be contingent on continuing the education to at least get a HS diploma.

Tough issue, as many work their way up the ladder. When I was in I worked for some real illiterate morons. It's difficult to allow yourself to be lead by a moron, especially when your life depends on it.

[1stFreedom]

Keep them at private level (up to E-3) and boot them if they fail to attain one after a certain amount of time.

[AdamSelene235]

It's not as much the academics as it is the demonstrated ability of someone to see something through to completion. That's a sign of maturity.

I would rather see a person invest their time wisely. Many of my intelligent friends dropped out of high school and enrolled in college.

Its getting to the point that a folks should just skip the undergrad and go straight for a PHD.