More Than Two-Thirds of American Youth Wouldn't Qualify for Service, Pentagon Says

[Sig_Sauer]

Does the Pentagon include the concept of women in combat? The military had to lower the physical standard so that women could get through boot camp. Why not lower the standards for overweight men?

They have without a doubt dropped a lot of the physical and psychological harassment to accommodate women . I don't think it would be wise to worsen things by bringing in fatasses.

 

[Sig_Sauer]

Does the Pentagon include the concept of women in combat? The military had to lower the physical standard so that women could get through boot camp. Why not lower the standards for overweight men?

The USMC never has lowered standards. This is why they continue to be the best fighting force in the world.

I have all the respect in the world for the Marine Corps but I'd bet a dollar to a doughnut they have bent to political correctness also. Do you really think they dog them at Paris Island like they did you in the 60s?

 

[Sig_Sauer]

Everyone is missing the point here.

They CANNOT QUALIFY for service because they are not physically fit!

That means they do not learn to exercise or take part in physical fitness programs because they might sweat, or hurt their poor little selves. They can't go out in the sun because they might swoon. They can't go outside when it's cold because they might get their little noses reddened.

We've turned our kids into wuzzes that will go far to hamper THEIR futures and life spans.

I agree to a point. When I was growing up we swam in the river, climbed trees, shot each other with BB guns...ect. When company came over you were expected to GTFO of the house didn't matter how hot it was.
Now they have to have bottled water, you can't beat their ass, they can't get dirty....that one really gets me! I mean he's not going to get the plague because he gets dirty.
OTOH we also have some outstanding young people. The Bin Laden Raid, the rescue of Captain Phillips, two Marines who stayed at their post firing at a truck loaded with explosives when they could have hauled ass. They died to keep that truck a safe distance from the barracks.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Sig, you may be right about the 'toughness' of the Marine boot training now.

However, they handles themselves well on the battlefield.

My 89 year old retired Master Gunnery Sergeant stepfather, in full possession of his faculties, believes they are fine. Semper Fei!

 

[whitehall]

The government did it for schools, they did it for non english speaking minorities and they did it for women. Just lower the standards and everybody passes

 

[Sig_Sauer]

Sig, you may be right about the 'toughness' of the Marine boot training now.

However, they handles themselves well on the battlefield.

My 89 year old retired Master Gunnery Sergeant stepfather, in full possession of his faculties, believes they are fine. Semper Fei!

Oh yea they still kick ass! So does the army I left in 88. The thing that bothers me is the PC reasons for the harassment being taken out. The influx of women, and the softening up of our young men. I just don't like it when someone can VOLUNTEER for an organization, then that organization has to adjust standards to suite them. They're talking female SEALS by 2016. They will have to take a lot of the grit out of that training. It's not necessarily the young women who will attend BUD/S it's the way we view the treatment of men and women. Americans will not tolerate an instructor spraying a girl with cold water, cussing her out in a front leaning rest position, and kicking sand in her face. You can get away with that with men but not a woman. Politicians, feminist, the media, and lawyers will be on the navy like stank on shit. When she can't lift that log....oh well gotta remove log PT. When she doesn't complete the run...gotta give em more time. I saw it in the army and it will come to the special ops units.

 

[Sig_Sauer]

The government did it for schools, they did it for non english speaking minorities and they did it for women. Just lower the standards and everybody passes

Oh yea they did it in fire and police departments also.

 

[Coloradomtnman]

When I was in boot camp at MCRD San Diego in First Phase, some LDS woman complained to her congressman or Senator that her son was being sworn at. So the DIs couldn't swear at us anymore. That pissed me off. Then after I'd been in a year Clinton said you had to be 21 to drink on base instead of 18 as it had been. So underage Marines drove to Tijuana to drink and got DUIs and killed driving back. The PC and stupid regs comes from both sides.

 

[Mad Scientist]

Recruits' Ineligibility Tests the Military
The Pentagon estimates that only one in four of today's youth are fit for military service. More than 20% of high-school students fail to graduate. Obesity and other medical conditions disqualify about 35% of candidates. Prior drug and alcohol involvement disqualify another 19%, and criminal records disqualify 5%.

2/3rds of American youths fail to qualify.

Solution:

1. Recruit MORE from foreign countries.
2. Have the U.N. take over our Military (Oops! They already have!)

 

[Sig_Sauer]

When I was in boot camp at MCRD San Diego in First Phase, some LDS woman complained to her congressman or Senator that her son was being sworn at. So the DIs couldn't swear at us anymore. That pissed me off. Then after I'd been in a year Clinton said you had to be 21 to drink on base instead of 18 as it had been. So underage Marines drove to Tijuana to drink and got DUIs and killed driving back. The PC and stupid regs comes from both sides.

Oh its fuckin ridiculous! I don't know if they are still doing it but the army initiated "stress cards" in the 90s. Can't handle being chewed out....pull out your stress card! It does piss people off who joined for the challenge.
I do have to correct you on one thing. Ronald Reagan changed the rules about drinking on post around 1983. We did it anyway, but it was illegal. If you wear a uniform by God you can drink alcohol if you see fit....**** them!

 

[SteadyMercury]

Sounds like some are trying to solve this problem, but I don't think there is one.

The US Military can afford to be picky since when unemployment rate is higher they generally have a larger pool of available recruits, we also in the midst of a drawdown some of which will come from active duty personnel and some of which could come recruitment goals.

From most recent numbers at http://www.defense.gov/Releases/Release.aspx?ReleaseID=16516

Active Component.

• Recruiting. All four active services met or exceeded their numerical accession goals for fiscal 2014, through December.

• Army – 10,924 accessions, with a goal of 10,670; 102 percent
• Navy – 6,835 accessions, with a goal of 6,835; 100 percent
• Marine Corps – 5,413 accessions, with a goal of 5,410; 100 percent
• Air Force – 6,549 accessions, with a goal of 6,536; 100 percent

• Retention. The Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps exhibited strong retention numbers for the third month of fiscal 2014.

 

[SteadyMercury]

Video games are fine and dandy, but I strongly doubt most youth would fight in a real war.

You might be surprised. Despite the hand wringing about the youth that happens with every generation the men and women of this country have consistently answered the call and performed with valor when called upon.

 

[SteadyMercury]

The USMC never has lowered standards. This is why they continue to be the best fighting force in the world.

They had some controversy a couple years back with lower standards for women regarding pullups. If memory serves women couldn't do whatever the minimum was so they dropped the requirement, which caused an uproar. Not sure where that ended up.

 

[usmcstinger]

If you get right down to it I bet that 90% of the fat asses in the Pentagon would not qualify for Military service.

You have no proof that those at the Pentagon do no conform with mental and physical standards.

 

[SteadyMercury]

I never worked at the Pentagon but did spend almost six years at HQ USSTRATCOM which had its fair share of flag officers.

If whitehall is implying the higher ranking military members are fat, my (granted anecdotal) observation is I never noticed the generals and admirals walking around in there being fat, especially for guys that were mostly in their upper 40s and 50s.

 

[CorvusRexus]

The USMC never has lowered standards. This is why they continue to be the best fighting force in the world.

They had some controversy a couple years back with lower standards for women regarding pullups. If memory serves women couldn't do whatever the minimum was so they dropped the requirement, which caused an uproar. Not sure where that ended up.

What was it as compared to now?

 

[HenryBHough]

Based on past court decisions I'd expect that next time a draft is instituted - and there will be a next time - then women are going to have to exclusively subject to that draft until an equal number have been conscripted to the number of men drafted in the previous 100 or so years.

Shape up girls, your day of equality doth fast approach!

 

[Sig_Sauer]

Video games are fine and dandy, but I strongly doubt most youth would fight in a real war.

You might be surprised. Despite the hand wringing about the youth that happens with every generation the men and women of this country have consistently answered the call and performed with valor when called upon.

Yea there have been several MOH recipients from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those SEALS who parachuted into The Indian Ocean and shot the Somali Pirates were of the latest generation. Same with those who carried out the Bin Laden raid. Sometimes we do need to recognize some outstanding young people instead of just criticizing.

 

[Sig_Sauer]

The USMC never has lowered standards. This is why they continue to be the best fighting force in the world.

They had some controversy a couple years back with lower standards for women regarding pullups. If memory serves women couldn't do whatever the minimum was so they dropped the requirement, which caused an uproar. Not sure where that ended up.

I have an abnormality in my left arm that prevents me from doing pull ups. Thats why I didn't join the Marines instead of the army. I didn't *****, raise hell, and try to force the Corps to change their standards I just found something else. I don't understand why everybody can't do that.