Stars and Stripes
-
- January
- 23
Stars and Stripes, a daily newspaper published for the U.S. military, reports in a front page story that the percentage of new recruits entering the Army with a high school diploma dropped to a new low in 2007.
And Army officials confirm they have lowered their standards to meet high recruiting goals in the middle of two ongoing wars.
A study by the National Priorities Project concluded that slightly more than 70 percent of new recruits joining the active-duty Army last year had a high school diploma, nearly 20 percent lower than the Army’s goal of at least 90 percent.
The study shows the number of high school graduates among new recruits fell from 83.5 percent in 2005 to 70.7 percent last year.
The study also found that the number of recruits with both a high school diploma and a score in the upper half on the military’s qualification test has dropped more than 15 percent from 2004 to 2007. It also found that low- and middle-income families are supplying far more Army recruits than families with incomes greater than $60,000 a year.
Officials at U.S. Army Recruiting Command said that 79.1 percent of its active-duty recruits in 2007 had a high school diploma, down from 87 percent in 2005, according to an Associated Press report.
â€Å“It’s really an indication of the difficult recruiting environment we’re in, both with the impact of the ongoing wars, an economy competing for high school graduates, and a decline in the percentage of students who graduate from high school,â€? said Douglas Smith, a spokesman for the recruiting command.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008 at 3:09 pm by Susan Elan.
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Why is this in the “Politics” blog? Why are you seeking to turn recruitment stats into a political issue? Are you like John Kerry and think that if you’re uneducated you wind up in Iraq?
What’s the big deal? These days they graduate everyone who hangs- around long enough.
the big deal is this…an all volunteer army is predicated
on the assumption that talented, educated men and woman
will choose the armed forces for a career..and that they
view defending their country as a legitmate profession…
when that stops happening ie when high school drop outs
and those who can’t cut it join, the ability of the
armed forces is diminished as is the quality of the
soldiering…have you met any high school drop outs
recently..you want them on the front lines in Iraq
and Afganistan? you think that the generals are happy
about this…I was in the Army reserves.I went to
basic training and ait…I understand what the army
needs to make it an effective fighting force..and
those who can’t make it through high school have
one or more of the following
1. an intelligence deficiency
2. an emotional deficiency
3. a complete lack of organizational skills
4. no motivation
5. no responsibility
6. no desire
7. substance abuse problems
8. sociological problems
9. lack of respect for authority
is that what you think the US military should be
composed of.?
the soldiers i know, and they are all officers or NCO’s, have either been in iraq for 4, i repeat 4 deployments(one missed both the birth of his first child and is now there and missed the child’s first birthday) or in one case the young captain was killed in action. i have heard absolutely unbelievable accounts from these young men. not about combat but about things like being bivouacked in one area and having to walk for an hour each way to get to and from their assigned duty stations. most took to riding bicycles and some were injured in falls riding over the rocky unpaved roads.
yes this is political. the current administration lead by a constitutional traitor has not only involved these men and women in an illegal and unneeded occupation but has destroyed this country’s credibility around the world. who would want to volunteer to serve under such depressing conditions ?
7 Curses has been out in the sun too long.
You know, “global warming.” Al Gore will fill you in.
Con:
You were the only one who served in the Armed Forces? Guess again. They graduate ANYONE who hangs around long enough. That was the statement, and its veracity is undeniable. Meaning – that a lot of these high-school diplomas that are handed out today are worthless in judging even someone’s ability to read and write. Generals enjoy troops who follow orders and ask no questions, not PhDs who find delight in discussing a question to death while leaving the enemy unscathed. Do you recall the story of the Trojans at Thermoplae? Not a high school graduate among ‘em.
You guys are missing the point- it’s that the military used to be a viable career choice for almost anybody. Now, between the economy and the war, all they can attract are those who have no other choices. Starve, go on welfare, work in McDonalds, or join the military.
When was it any different except for graduates of West Point and Annapolis? My figures show less than 900 troops killed in Iraq in 2007, while in California alone, there were 2395 homicides. Over 800 were murdered in New York City alone, and they’re bragging about the “low” homicide rate. You’re safer in Iraq. At least you’re armed and you have armed buddies with you, and I don’t care if their last job was at McDonalds or Goldman Sachs. As a matter of fact, the McDonalds guy might be a more reliable partner.
your class argument is undermining our ability to have
a viable military that can think on its feet
“The society which scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity, and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because philosophy is an exalted activity, will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water.”