Quote:
Originally Posted by emcon5
Just curious, were you in the military?
|
Yes, as a matter of fact...US Army, 82nd Airborne Division, '69-'71. This was back in the days of the military draft. We had quite a broad cross-section of society represented in the Army at that time...everyone from thugs given the choice of joining up or going to jail, to guys with advanced degrees who were drafted as soon as their student deferments ran out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by john70t
I thought voluntary military service was supposed to intake the-best-of-the-best.
|
Military recruiters work under a quota system. They need to sign a certain number of new recruits each month to balance out the numbers who are concluding their term of service. They don't always have the luxury of taking only "the best of the best".
Quote:
Originally Posted by 911_Dude
Not true. The all volunteer force has created the highest educated force in our history. The days of high school drop out joining the Army are over. You have to have at least a GED.
|
True that the Army might now require at least a HS diploma or GED to join. But given the state of the educational system in this country, that's not saying a whole lot. Granted, there are a lot of young people who are joining the military today who do make the most of it. They chose an MOS that provides training that can translate into a civilian career after their discharge, and they go on to live productive and responsible lives after leaving the service. These are not the people we're talking about here. If you have personal 'issues' before joining the military, and fail to make the right choices while there, you're not going to be well prepared for life on the outside...despite the fact that you have a HS diploma or GED. These are the people who slip thru the cracks and wind up on the street.
And as stated before, it's also very easy, and sometimes very convenient, to claim that you're a vet when you're really not. The public has no way of knowing one way or another.