75% of Potential Recruits Too Fat, Too Sickly, Too Dumb to Serve

[nmap]

Interesting article - if true. But perhaps their assessment is too grim?

If correct, it's suggestive that health care costs are set to go much higher, and that our military posture faces a risk factor.

LINK (http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/11/75-of-potential-recruits-too-fat-too-sickly-too-dumb-to-serve/)

More than three-quarters of the nation’s 17- to 24-year-olds couldn’t serve in the military, even if they wanted to. They’re too fat, too sickly, too dumb, have too many kids, or have copped to using illegal drugs.

The armed services are willing to grant waivers for some of those conditions - asthma, or a little bit of weed. But the military’s biggest concern is how big and how weak its potential recruits have become.

“The major component of this is obesity,” Curt Gilroy, the Pentagon’s director of accessions, tells Army Times‘ William McMichael. “Kids are just not able to do push-ups… And they can’t do pull-ups. And they can’t run.”

23 percent of 18- to 34-year-old are now obese, up from just six percent in 1987.

The group of potential enlistees is further slimmed by the “propensity to serve” among American youths, which social scientists say also is declining. According to Gilroy, research shows that about 12 percent of all U.S. military-eligible youth show an interest in military service.

The military just had a big recruiting year. But as the economy improves, and the war in Afghanistan drags on, it’s going to be tough to rely on such a tiny sliver of America’s youth to maintain an all-volunteer force. Either the recruiting standards have to change — maybe the military’s new Cyber Command doesn’t need guys who can do a bunch of pull-ups. Or the recruits themselves have to.

[Ret10Echo]

More than three-quarters of the nation’s 17- to 24-year-olds couldn’t serve in the military, even if they wanted to. They’re too fat, too sickly, too dumb, have too many kids, or have copped to using illegal drugs.

:munchin
This appears to be a general observation as opposed to a true statistical statement on the available pool of potential recruits. What percentage of the nations 17 - 24 year olds are interested in military service? This statement assumes 100% of the group is actually interested...

23 percent of 18- to 34-year-old are now obese, up from just six percent in 1987.

So of the 75% that are not qualified, only 23% are too fat...Ok, that seems reasonable so that would indicate the other 52% are too sick, stupid or used drugs.

Wow, half of the population of 18 - 34 year olds is (potentially) STUPID...that explains a lot. I've been searching for a statistical reason for all this for quite a while.


The group of potential enlistees is further slimmed by the “propensity to serve” among American youths, which social scientists say also is declining. According to Gilroy, research shows that about 12 percent of all U.S. military-eligible youth show an interest in military service.

L-A-Z-Y comes to mind.

Thanks nmap. I espcially enjoyed this comment off of the web site you linked:

My 350 buddy can fly one of those UAVs right up bin Laden’s a** way better than a 19-year-old wound up on protein shakes to make weight.

[incarcerated]

Wow, half of the population of 18 - 34 year olds is (potentially) STUPID...that explains a lot.

Yes, it certainly does.

Edited by Razor: Some respect for the office, if not the man, please

[Soak60]

Intresting. I recently went through MEPS and re enlisted into the reserves after a long break in service. I am not uh, young, by any streach of the word. When we took our oath the guy giving it told us only 25% of people that walked through the door made it that far. I thoght he must be mistaken.

As a side note I noticed they were DXing people for things in the past they never would have cared about in the 1980's. One kid had to get a waiver because his eyesite in one eye was a lot worse than in the other. The Dr's seemed to relish the fact that they could make up a reason to get rid of someone. I was told by a recruiter that a new rule is even if someone meets the standard the Dr's have the authority to kick someone out on their own for no reason. i guess this started after the media got a hold of some people being enlisted that never should have been. I guess some of the MEPS MD's have taken upon themselves to take it a little to far. While this is true about our youth, I also think in some ways the stats are a little misleading. Some good kids are getting kicked because the MD feels it is his duty to get rid of X number of recruits.

I dunno, when I went through my initial MEPS the only people that got DQ were guys that had joint problems (one couldn't rotate his ankle, other couldnt move his right thumb), one that had a tattoo high on his neck, and 2 that were obese. Now, I was not in shape when I went (24% body fat, I've lost weight since then) but I had no problems. 2/4 MDs were jerks, but maybe it was a bad day.

At PT I can see more of what this article is talking about. I've been sick for the past 2 weeks and didn't work out, and when we did the 2-2-2 I managed 77 PU, 75 SU and ran 2 miles in 14:58 (my run isn't that much better when I'm not sick :( ). Felt like $%&^ the entire time, but 90% of the other kids there don't even TRY. I know for a fact 6 or 7 of them can run faster than me farther (some were on the track team in HS less than 6 months ago) but I regularly finish 2nd or 3rd for the run. I think mentality is a big part of this.

As far as being stupid...I know most of them scored less than 30 on the ASVAB. So yes. But then I also know the public HSs in my area are horrible. Still, the ASVAB is like 10th-grade stuff.

[Soak60]

I went through in early June, Harrisburg PA MEPS. Going back there in...3 days :)

[MackallResident]

FWIW, obesity is NOT an issue when joining; However, it will keep you from joining.

I say this because when i first visted my recruiter, I was 5'8" and weighed 286lbs. That is borderline morbid-obesity. That was on 3 jan 2004. 4 May 2004 I went to meps and weighed in at 204lbs.

Point being, obesity is most certainly situational, and IMHO it is something a young person can take control of. Getting in the Army did it for me, then better prpped me afterwords. now I'm 5'11" and 178lbs.

The drug usage is just poor decision making by the individual. It is trully sad that [my generation] these folks are the way they are. I am 24, and I guess I should feel "special" that I am one of the aforementioned 25% that were eligble.

Too "stupid" is harsh I believe. Some people of course have steeper learning curves. I do agree with not letting the less-intelligent in. Maybe the Army recruiting process in its' entirety would benefit from a QUALITATIVE vs. quantitative approach. my .o2

[PedOncoDoc]

It seems to me that 90% of the problem could be solved with more parental involvement for these kids. I remember in medical school that one of our pediatric surgeons was getting training in stomach stapling due to the alarming percentage of morbidly obese children - I saw more evidnce of this when I volunteered at a children's camp for diabetics - they held an extra session for kids with "adult onset" diabetes as a result of their obesity. With even light exercise and a responsible diet these kids were experiencing normal blood sugars and 5-12 pound weight losses.

An old mentor of mine said that obesity if caused by the 4 M's: McDonalds, Microsoft and M&M's. (Too much candy and fatty foods and a sedentary lifestyle.)

If more parents took an active role in their children's education and taught by example with healthy lifestyles we would not need this thread. Video games/television are the baby sitter for too many kids - they learn nothing and get no exercise when this happens. It's easier to learn how to make a video game do entertaining things than to go out and learn to play a sport or engage their imagination/learn something with a book.

If my son gets up early he knows he's coming to the basement and doing PT with me. He just turned 6 and he relishes the father/son time. He's not quite ready for the long distance runs yet, but we'll go ~1 mile from time to time. We do a post-school debrief every evening over dinner and practice things he learns in school after dinner. I can't wait for him to be old enough to start cub scouts (next year.)

[AngelsSix]

It seems to me that 90% of the problem could be solved with more parental involvement for these kids.

AGREED!!

How about we start with the lazy freaking parents that are too damn busy with their own lives to be bothered raising kids?

Most of these folks I see around me today get married and have kids like its a fashionable thing to do or some sort of freaking competition..."damn it, Julie is married and three weeks pregnant already and I am not even engaged yet!" You have got to be kidding me. I see a lot of young women today traping guys into relationships that they are not ready for and children are produced in these "pairings" simply because someone is too damn stupid to wear a condom.

I am sick of people in general.

[GratefulCitizen]

Tried to get in for years.
MEPS docs wouldn't have it.
Recruiters had no luck with waivers.

Long story short: had a stress/concussion induced hypomanic episode when I was 19 followed by some "correction".
(That was the shrink's description.)

While the "correction" was sorting itself out, my parents convinced the shrink that I should take some sort of meds (lithium :rolleyes: ).

I rarely took it, eventually told the shrink that I would not take it, there was nothing wrong with me, and went on to prove the fact.
The shrink eventually agreed and said my prognosis was "quite good".

Was still trying to get in at age 29.
-Had commendations at various jobs I had worked.
-Had a bachelor's degree in mathematics.

-Test scores put me in the top .5 % of the population for brainpower.
-Could bench press 2 reps @ 325lbs, run a sub 6-minute mile (at high altitude), standing broad jump just shy of 10 ft, standing verticle jump over 30", etc.

-Former shrink said I was fine.
-Family doc thought there was never anything wrong with me in the first place.


MEPS docs said no way.
Didn't matter how long ago it was. Lithium was on the record.

I finally relented.
Decided to focus on my young family and signed a teaching contract.
That was late August, 2001.
Timing is everything.

Curious to know what sort of things get waived now.

[The Reaper]

Tried to get in for years.
MEPS docs wouldn't have it.
Recruiters had no luck with waivers.

Long story short: had a stress/concussion induced hypomanic episode when I was 19 followed by some "correction".
(That was the shrink's description.)

While the "correction" was sorting itself out, my parents convinced the shrink that I should take some sort of meds (lithium :rolleyes: ).

I rarely took it, eventually told the shrink that I would not take it, there was nothing wrong with me, and went on to prove the fact.
The shrink eventually agreed and said my prognosis was "quite good".

Was still trying to get in at age 29.
-Had commendations at various jobs I had worked.
-Had a bachelor's degree in mathematics.

-Test scores put me in the top .5 % of the population for brainpower.
-Could bench press 2 reps @ 325lbs, run a sub 6-minute mile (at high altitude), standing broad jump just shy of 10 ft, standing verticle jump over 30", etc.

-Former shrink said I was fine.
-Family doc thought there was never anything wrong with me in the first place.


MEPS docs said no way.
Didn't matter how long ago it was. Lithium was on the record.

I finally relented.
Decided to focus on my young family and signed a teaching contract.
That was late August, 2001.
Timing is everything.

Curious to know what sort of things get waived now.


There were students going through SFAS who had used lithium. Not a lot, but a few.

HTH.

TR

[Weazle23]

I was a recruiter from early 2006 to mid 2008 and I can say we denied far more people than we enlisted. And yes, saying some are too stupid is an understatment. One guy came in saying he saw in the newspaper that we were taking "anyone and everyone." I promptly put him on the practice ASVAB test to see where he was at... He scored a solid 2. :lifter He then confesed to having trouble with reading and math.

[cornelyj]

2!!! Is that really possible? No really? or is that an exaggeration on the matter...?

[Guy]

2!!! Is that really possible? No really? or is that an exaggeration on the matter...?I once asked a guy, what was heavier:

1. A ton of feathers?

OR

2. A ton of bricks?

No matter how I tried to explain that, there was NO difference! The ton bricks were heavier than the feathers.:munchin

Ask 18C4V about releasing a guy from jail if he could name five (5) countries in Africa. LMMFAO!:D

Stay safe.

[levinj]

I know that when I tried, I couldn't even get my MEPS doctor to give me a med-read. It was definitely heartbreaking; I have no ongoing health issues, I was in incredible shape, and I have a reasonably good intellect.

I went to the Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, and Air Force. Nobody would touch me.

What was frustrating was that if they had just opened my medical history and read what was up, things might have been different.