THE U.S. MILITARY ISN’T GETTING ENOUGH NEW RECRUITS. THE ARMY IS 15,000 RECRUITS SHY OF ITS GOAL FOR THIS YEAR, AND JUST LOWERED ITS GOAL FOR NEXT YEAR BY ANOTHER 15000.
ONLY ABOUT 23% OF YOUNG AMERICANS MEET THE REQUIREMENTS TO JOIN THE MILITARY IN THE FIRST PLACE, AND LESS THAN 10% ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CONDITIONS OR AILMENTS WHICH PREVENT SOME PEOPLE FROM JOINING THE MILITARY. IN MOST CASES, THE POTENTIAL RECRUIT WOULD NEED A WAIVER TO SIGN UP FOR MILITARY SERVICE, BUT THOSE CAN BE HARD TO GET.
IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR, THE MILITARY DECIDED MAYBE THAT LIST OF DISQUALIFYING CONDITIONS COULD USE AN UPDATE.
SO, FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS, THE MILITARY ALLOWED ENTRY TO RECRUITS WITH CERTAIN BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS. 700 PEOPLE DIAGNOSED WITH ATTENTION-DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER, OR ADHD, WERE ALLOWED ENTRY TO THE U.S. MILITARY THIS YEAR.
THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SAID RECRUITS SUFFERING FROM 38 DIFFERENT MEDICAL CONDITIONS COULD SERVE IN THE MILITARY, PROVIDED THEY HAVEN’T DEMONSTRATED SYMPTOMS OR REQUIRED MEDICATION FOR TREATMENT FOR THREE, FIVE OR SEVEN YEARS DEPENDING ON THE CONDITION.
THE MILITARY WILL ASSESS THE PROGRESS OF THE CHANGES IN ANOTHER SIX MONTHS TO SEE WHAT SORT OF IMPACT THEY’RE HAVING, BOTH IN RECRUITMENT AND MISSION READINESS.
CHANGES TO RECRUITING SYSTEMS ARE OFTEN PAIRED WITH CONCERNS ABOUT LOWERING STANDARDS AND ENDANGERING OUR ARMED FORCES IN THE LONG RUN. WHEN THE WARS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN WERE AT THEIR HEIGHT, THE MILITARY GRANTED A HIGH NUMBER OF WAIVERS FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. FOR YEARS AFTERWARD, THE MILITARY BATTLED A GROWING NUMBER OF SUICIDES AND MENTAL-HEALTH ISSUES.