Military service, hard to find qualified people

[widgeon13]

only 28% of todays youth qualify for military service, the rest are not qualified because of one of the three reasons below:

- police record
- did not graduate from HS
- not physically fit

according to CBS evening news, pretty scary statistics if this is true.

I didn't think it was this hard to get into the military and I know it's not what every kid is cut out for but hard to believe!

[ronin]

wow, I qualify! sign me up!

[Joeaksa]

Remember the old days when instead of having a record the judge would sentenance the perp to "jail or the military!"

Wish it was happening more often and it would result in a much better group of young kids. Course when I was in boot camp life was a lot different there as well.

[TheMentat]

Originally Posted by widgeon13

only 28% of todays youth qualify for military service, the rest are not qualified because of one of the three reasons below:

- police record
- did not graduate from HS
- not physically fit

according to CBS evening news, pretty scary statistics if this is true.

I didn't think it was this hard to get into the military and I know it's not what every kid is cut out for but hard to believe!

I wonder what percentage of those with a police record are for non-violent drug offences?

[DARISC]

- police record
- did not graduate from HS
- not physically fit

Sadly, describes the way too high percentage of today's entitled, high self esteem, poorly educated youth. The private sector is having problems finding qualified people also. I've heard numerous tales of college grad job applicants who can't even construct a simple sentence.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I'm too old and I completely don't agree with our policy in Iraq. Other than that, I'd sign up. Hell, after 9/11 (back when our military mission was going to arguably be hunting down/killing Bin Laden & Al Qaeda instead of engaging in stupid imperialistic crusades in unrelated sovereign countries) I actually looked into enlisting. Unfortunately I was over the threshold (30 years old at the time).

I'd do it tomorrow if:

1. I believed in our government and the "cause" it was pursuing
2. I was young enough
3. I had a reasonable shot at getting into the flight program (commercial pilot w/ over 3,000 hours logged)

[livi]

I wonder if its Reality or Criteria thats off..?

As the saying goes in the Army: "If the terrain does not fit the map - go by the map".

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by widgeon13

only 28% of todays youth qualify for military service, the rest are not qualified because of one of the three reasons below:

- police record
- did not graduate from HS
- not physically fit

according to CBS evening news, pretty scary statistics if this is true.

I didn't think it was this hard to get into the military and I know it's not what every kid is cut out for but hard to believe!

I flunked my army physical..1964. Eyesight. But one I'll NEVER forget...a written thing. We were asked to report our "criminal record", excluding traffic violations. A baby faced kid raised his hand, then asked: "Do you want the misdemeanors, or just the felonies?"

So, anybody want to share a foxhol;e withy this guy???

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

I flunked my army physical..1964. Eyesight. But one I'll NEVER forget...a written thing. We were asked to report our "criminal record", excluding traffic violations. A baby faced kid raised his hand, then asked: "Do you want the misdemeanors, or just the felonies?"

So, anybody want to share a foxhol;e withy this guy???

I guess he was shuffled off to group "W"....

[1967 R50/2]

I'm afraid the reality is that most of the kids are TOO FAT and out of shape to qualify for the physical.

[JayG]

Originally Posted by TheMentat

I wonder what percentage of those with a police record are for non-violent drug offences?

Almost all of them I bet. Most are good kids that just messed up once. On the other hand I dont want the real dopeheads in there either.

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by 1967 R50/2

I'm afraid the reality is that most of the kids are TOO FAT and out of shape to qualify for the physical.

I'm continuously amazed by the puffier-looking youth I've seen over the past few years.

[djmcmath]

Originally Posted by DARISC

- police record
- did not graduate from HS
- not physically fit

And the sad news is that if you get a bunch of kids working for you who meet these criterion -- and only these three -- you're in a world of hurt. Most of you have employees -- imagine if your only hiring limitations were the above list, and that everyone you hired was simply a high school graduate with no police record who wasn't obese.

Scary.

Dan

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by widgeon13

- police record
- did not graduate from HS
- not physically fit

1. I thought any record under the age of 18 did not count.

2. Back in the mid-1970's they let lots of drop-outs in, many of the ones I knew came back early or never made it through boot camp.

3. I read that they have already lowered the physical standards (a lot) so that fewer would wash out at boot camp.

[widgeon13]

When I was on active duty, the only problems we had we're a little too much wacky T and some slackers.

Of course when I was in HS you had PE at least 3X a week and swimming on Friday, heck I had to pass my Red Cross senior life saving to graduate from HS. The only reason most stay afloat today is shear body mass displacement.

[djmcmath]

1 - Some record items are waiverable. Drug use is the most common example. I've known a number of guys -- some of them quite successful in the military -- who were in on a drug waiver.

3 - The physical standards are pathetic. At my age (30), I needed to run the mile and a half in something like 15 minutes. I think the minimum pushups for my age was like 24, and the minimum situps were something like 50, in a two minute period. It's easier for women -- an extra minute or two on the run, something like 18 pushups, and like 36 or 40 situps. It would be funny if it wasn't true.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by djmcmath

1 - Some record items are waiverable. Drug use is the most common example. I've known a number of guys -- some of them quite successful in the military -- who were in on a drug waiver.

That would be me

I did not have a police record, I simply told the truth on my commission application, figuring lying about it would only catch up with me one day.

The truth was I never inhaled

[Jim Richards]

You and Bill? That's amazing!

[carambola]

just curious, what if you were arrested and went through a Pre-Trial Intervention and had the charges dropped? just for a bit of pot (the mushrooms disappeared)

[Danny_Ocean]

Originally Posted by djmcmath

And the sad news is that if you get a bunch of kids working for you who meet these criterion -- and only these three -- you're in a world of hurt. Most of you have employees -- imagine if your only hiring limitations were the above list, and that everyone you hired was simply a high school graduate with no police record who wasn't obese.

In addition to the "no drugs/criminal record" disclaimer, I also list "no visible tattoos/piercings" in my help-wanted ads on Craigslist. You wouldn't believe the hate-mail I get because of that prerequisite...