It's time to reinstate the draft: Desperate for recruits, the Army introduces remedial program for those who couldn't previously qualify

[Counselor706]

Faced with a shallow talent pool and short of its recruitment goals for the year, the Army introduced a remedial program earlier this month to bolster previously ineligible recruits' physical or academic capabilities. The aim of the program is to help recruits who meet all other qualifications for enlistment to advance to basic training and thereby close some of the gap in the military's recruitment figures.

Recruits qualify for the Future Soldier Preparatory Course at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, if they previously failed to meet the Army's physical or academic requirements, but not both. Recruits must also take the Occupational Physical Assessment Test, which assesses their ability to engage in physically demanding Army training.

Basic math, comprehension, and vocabulary are topics covered in some of the preparatory classes aimed at helping recruits make the academic grade. For those recruits who failed the fitness standard — those who are between 2% and 6% fatter than is accepted according to standards set for their age and sex — there are courses on nutrition, exercise, physical therapy, and healthy weight loss.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/army-introduces-remedial-program-recruits

 

[Counselor706]

The Air Force Academy has seen a huge year-on-year drop in the number of applicants interested in attending the service academy, amid a historic military recruiting crisis and a drive to boost diversity on campus.

This year, The Air Force Academy saw a 28 percent decline in its number of applicants from last year, according to Air Force Academy admissions statistics obtained by Breitbart News. In 2021, there were 11,615 applicants. In 2022, that number dropped to 8,393.

The drop in percentage of “qualified candidates” tracked by the academy was even more dire — 46 percent, according to the statistics. In 2021, there were 3,279 qualified candidates. In 2022, there were only 1,775 qualified candidates.

However, there were only about 100 fewer actual offers of admission from 2021 to 2022, suggesting a far less competitive selection process and lower quality recruits for an academy known for producing the Air Force’s pilots.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/...pplicants-drop-46-amid-recruiting-crisis/amp/

 

[ll74]

It's not time to reinstate the draft.

 

[Counselor706]

The Navy’s latest budget proposal will cut more than a thousand sailors from the sea service, a reflection of a difficult recruiting environment that defense officials predict will only get worse.

The Navy should make its recruiting goals for active-duty sailors this year, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday told Congress on Wednesday. But in the long term the Navy expects to see more challenges in meeting those numbers, especially when it comes to recruiting sailors with cyber expertise, Gilday said.

https://news.usni.org/2022/05/16/na...-environment-on-target-to-hit-retention-goals

 

[Counselor706]

Even the Marine Corps, which does not usually struggle to find recruits, is under pressure to meet its goals.

"We made mission last year; however, FY22 has proved to be arguably the most challenging year in recruiting history," Marine Lt. Gen. David Ottingnon said in written testimony before joining Cisneros at the Senate hearing in April. "In addition to COVID-19, the growing disconnect and declining favorable view between the U.S. population and traditional institutions, labor shortages, high inflation, and a population of youth who do not see the value of military service also continue to strain recruiting efforts and place the Marine Corps' accession mission at risk."

Only 9% of young people now show a propensity to serve, according to Defense Department polling data shared with ABC News. It's the lowest number seen in 15 years.

https://abc11.com/military-troops-recruitment-war/12011656/

 

[Counselor706]

Data provided by the Coast Guard shows the service has not met its recruiting goals since 2018, falling short an average of 20% each year from 2019 through 2021.

Not surprisingly, the service's worst year was 2020, when COVID-19 lockdowns prevented potential recruits from meeting recruiters. During that pandemic year, the service needed to bring in 3,700 new personnel; it enlisted 2,812.

Fagan said that, as the military recruitment pool shrinks and fewer Americans meet the physical qualifications to join the military, the branches all are competing for talent.

https://www.military.com/daily-news...ecruitment-retention-it-misses-goals.html/amp

 

[ll74]

Sounds rough. Maybe they need to change their recruitment techniques......

Oh
..right....they are

 

[phrodeau]

Will they accept recruits with bone spurs?

 

[colddiesel]

This situation is completely normal in a thriving economy which affords young people other opportunities.

The problem at the moment is that the unemployed sector consists of both those seeking work and those - the unemployable, seeking to avoid it. A draft specifically for the armed forces is not much use, but some sort of pool to facilitate the employment of all the available man/woman power might help. Unemployed folk should not have the option of drawing benefits without being assigned to some form of employment.

When I joined the British army over 60 years ago we had no recruits who were overweight. In fact a significant number from the Scottish Industrial lowlands were under weight. During basic training the army stuffed food into us, repetitive, boring, but good; a surprising number of the 16 to 20 year olds had to be issued new uniforms because they grew during this period. The major problem then was illiteracy, 10% were completely illiterate, as many as 35% functionally so - they could read a bit, but writing was beyond them, even filling out the simplest form. A surprising number were brought up to an acceptable standard.

 

[JohnnySavage]

Americans are too fat. The kids today can't fit inside a tank.

or an Aircraft Carrier.

Fast food is both a public health problem, as well as a national security one. Ray Kroc was a Russian sabatour!

 

[colddiesel]

This goes back to national service.

I do not agree with National Service in the military sense. That only worked in South Africa because 80% of the population was excluded because they were not white. Essentially they were an extension of police services targeting internal rather than external enemies. My preference would be for some sort of National pool which an individual is assigned to if they cannot find work or occupation for themselves. That pool would be a resource for any employer.

 

[colddiesel]

Americans are too fat. The kids today can't fit inside a tank.

or an Aircraft Carrier.

Fast food is both a public health problem, as well as a national security one. Ray Kroc was a Russian sabatour!

In the WW II Russian T 34 Tank, the drivers of the original models had to be 5'5" or less to fit in and be able to see where they were going. That wasn't a problem because Stalin solved it by starving so many people in the thirties. These shorties had to have strong legs though, because the transmission was so crude they had to kick them through the gears. Still the most important tank of WW II.

 

[Counselor706]

The Army’s top general said that the service branch will attempt to accommodate soldiers and recruits who want to avoid serving in states that have placed restrictions on abortion access.

Chief of staff Gen. James McConville said in an interview with Defense One published on Wednesday that soldiers or recruits will be able to request a deployment to a state with legal abortion, but that it won’t be a rubber-stamp process.

"We do have options where a soldier can say, ‘Hey, I want to serve in Alaska,’ and if we can meet those preferences, we will actually do that. But as far as, 'I'm only going to serve in these states' or 'I'm going to do that.' ... It’s a contract … and if we can make it work, we’ll try to make it work for them.”

When asked directly, he added: “We try to make sure that we’re taking care of soldiers, and at the same time if we can meet their preferences while taking care of them, of where they might want to serve, and we have a job that meets their skill set, then that’s certainly a consideration.”

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/...s-who-want-to-avoid-states-with-abortion-bans

 

[ll74]

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/...s-who-want-to-avoid-states-with-abortion-bans

Women who know they'll likely be raped need to ensure they have reproductive care available.