Recruits' Ineligibility Tests the Military

[Rolfe]

More than two-thirds of America's youth would fail to qualify for military service because of physical, behavioral or educational shortcomings, posing challenges to building the next generation of soldiers even as the U.S. draws down troops from conflict zones.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/recruits-ineligibility-tests-the-military-1403909945?mod=WSJ_hppMIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsSecond

 

[Salty]

Are the standards too high?

 

[Aaron]

Are the standards too high?

Seriously?

Why, yes. Who wouldn't want an army of unthinking, uncritical and unquestioning ignoramuses?

Oh, I know! Tyrants.

 

[Salty]

Seriously?

Why, yes. Who wouldn't want an army of unthinking, uncritical and unquestioning ignoramuses?

Oh, I know! Tyrants.

talking about tattoos, weight/height standards - ect.

and during Vietnam - lack of a HS dipoma was not problem.
Granted education - but I served with a lot of good soldiers who quit HS, and who later were discharged with college credits.

 

[Bro. James]

The specification for conscripts changes with the situation. I talked with some replacement conscripts near Saigon in 1967. They indicated they had been classified as IV-F, unfit for military duty, physically and/or mentally. They seemed terrified and anxious about their chances of surviving 12 months in the jungle.

War is a type of hell on earth.

No peace since Cain killed Abel.

No peace until Jesus comes back.

The real war is against God--many folk have not a clue.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Bro. James

 

[Crabtownboy]

You do not want a bunch of dummies handing high technology equipment. The Army isn't what it used to be. I remember fellows in a in an infantry outfit on the post I was on in Germany who could hardly put a coherent sentence together. Of course, all they had to do as a grunt was to march and shoot. It did not require much in the way of smarts. That has changed, even for the infantry grunt.

 

[JonC]

It always amazed me that ones with a GED typically did well on the test while other grads did not. The amazing part was that the military does not want GED holders (or other TIER II's) so they had to take a “personality test,” which most failed. Right now I am surprised 29% qualify…thought it a bit lower…but I don’t see it as an issue for the military as they control the standards. If you don't want as many enlistments...well, tighten up the standards. Companies do the same thing (e.g., I saw a HVAC listing - requirements HVAC experience and a 4 yr degree in anything).

 

[JonC]

You do not want a bunch of dummies handing high technology equipment. The Army isn't what it used to be. I remember fellows in a in an infantry outfit on the post I was on in Germany who could hardly put a coherent sentence together. Of course, all they had to do as a grunt was to march and shoot. It did not require much in the way of smarts. That has changed, even for the infantry grunt.

We still have positions where you don't want the private to ask "You want me to do WHAT???!!!" :smilewinkgrin: