[Moneyguy1]

fint:

Respectfully.....the military does have standards, but more and more the individuals willing to sign up require remedial training. In an era of more and more sophisticated weaponry, we need better educated personnel, not highschool dropouts.

Article by Joseph Galloway reads in part:

"The army, in particular, has been forced to accept more recruits who score in the lowest quarter of the military's aptitude testing and has set up programs to bring in highschool dropouts. "

Interesting read: "AWOL: The Unexpected Absence of America's Upper Classes from Military Service".

In the years after WWII, virtually every member of Congress was a veteran of military service. By 1971, three quarters of the members had worn the uniform. Today, only a third of the 535 members of the Senate and the House have served.

Not having veterans throughout the decision-making process damages the country's ability to make sound decisions on the use of our military.. Without them, the political leadership has less understanding of the true cost of war and who pays that proce.

Any division between the military and the rest of us weakens the country and increases the risk that the military "will be overused and under-led and that support will run out fast for any project that becomes a political liability".

When those who benefit most from living in a country contribute the least to its defense and those who benefit least are asked to pay the ultimate price, something happens to the soul of that country.