Army aims high, reaches lower
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- April
- 8
A report in USA Today notes that the percentage or recruits who, because of past criminal problems need a waiver to join the Army has more than doubled since 2004.
One of every eight new recruits requires a “conduct waiver, for felony or serious misdemeanor charges, according to the Army Recruiting Command. The story also says that the percentage of high school graduates among Army recruits was 79 percent last year, as compared with 91 percent in 2001.
I don’t have a problem with any of that. I joined the Army in 1976 – the first year of the “all volunteer’’ military. A lot of people groused about lower standards back then too.
Once in, I met plenty of guys who didn’t have high school diplomas, or had been in trouble before they joined up. The Army did the same for them as it did for me. It taught us to be responsible young adults.
Young people make mistakes and false starts. The Army is one way they can turn their lives around.
End of sermon.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2008-04-06-Waiver_N.htm
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, April 8th, 2008 at 2:28 pm by Rich Liebson. 
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ADD to the recruited lists, students with IEP diplomas, special ed. students with counseling requirements and 19 yr.old
students without diplomas “you can finish your education at marine High School”. None of these should disqualify a particular recruit, BUT, I’m witnessing a regular trend.
I had a former L.A. Blood in my squad tattoos and all. He was one of the best soldiers I ever lead. He always did what he was told and had more “Intestinal Fortitude” than my other soldiers.