Posted on 03/26/2013 6:36:53 PM PDT by markomalley
In a report by NPR’s Tom Bowman aired during Monday’s broadcast of “All Things Considered,” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey explained why the military is having difficulty recruiting qualified young men.
“I think it’s fairly common knowledge that our population of military-age young men who qualify for the military is declining,” Dempsey told NPR. “And so, as a very practical matter, we decided if in 2020 we’re going to need these young ladies and we’re going to need to attract as much diversity and as much talent as we can possibly attract, if that’s going to be the case, what are we waiting for?”
Dempsey suggested that the military has focused too much on tough physical standards in recruiting.
“There are existing standards — many of which haven’t been dusted off in a very long time, many of which have been kind of narrowly focused just on physical standards, but without the companion piece of psychologically and intellectual standards,” Dempsey said.
Bowman pointed out that legal problems, lack of education, drug addiction and health problems are among the reasons many young males are unable to join the military.
A case could be made the problem is not with the conscription but the training. I suppose though, it would be tough for them to look to Israel or South Korea for a model to follow.
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