Quote:
Originally posted by Sidd Finch
Given the economic background of the average military recruit, I would question whether they are at the level of the average HS graduate -- and that is a pretty low bar (again, ask Spanky for details).
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That's actually not the case for the volunteer military -- as least not until the past 3-4 years when they have had to substantially lower their standards to meet recruiting goals.
Interestingly enough, and for similar reasons, the Army has also significantly raised its age limits for new recruits (up to 41, I think) -- although they won't put the old folks in combat units. This offers a wonderful opportunity for the many frustrated patriots on this Board and elsewhere to let actions speak louder than words.l
In the period I'm most familiar with -- the early to mid 1990s -- the educational background and proficiency of the "average" recruit exceeded that of the population as a whole. i.e. HS diploma was mandatory, a notable percentage had at least some college courses, and the Army offered substantial additional training and education (with some remedial aspect) in the specialized training for each MOS (Military Occupational Speciality) that every enlisted soldier attends immediately after basic training. The last part, at least, is still true. I believe the HS diploma is no longer mandatory.
S_A_M
P.S. There is an article on the whole Kerry hubbub on CNN.com which does include the report that Kerry misspoke and flubbed the line while he was trying to crack on Bush:
He was scripted to tell the students (paraphrase) that it was important to work and study hard because if you don't study hard, if you're intellectually lazy and not smart, you end up GETTING US stuck in a place like Iraq.
Bad mistake to make.
