Some newspapers have made a big deal lately of how low the standards have sunk for the military. Namely the Army and Marines. I think this sort of data has to be taken with a grain of salt though.
The Army admitted about one-fourth more recruits last year with a record of legal problems ranging from felony convictions and serious misdemeanors to drug crimes and traffic offenses, as pressure to increase the size of U.S. ground forces led the military to grant more waivers for criminal conduct, according to new data released yesterday
The vast majority of such convictions stem from juvenile offenses.
I don’t really have an issue with letting people in the military with some conduct issues. Heck I wouldn’t have gotten into the Navy if they didn’t overlook a few minor offenses. We all know that young people, especially boys, make dumb choices in their lives and having the ability to join the military might be a great way to help them grow as a person. Many of the dumb decisions we make as kids can end any chance at being a productive member of society. The opportunity to get college money, learn a trade and get some discipline isn’t really a bad thing. At a time when the people running this country cast the lessers to the side, It is better than nothing…