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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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8

Army May Not Want You So Bad After All

Jobless rate drives surge in applicants

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(Newser) – Rising unemployment and safer conditions in Iraq have boosted interest in joining the Army, allowing recruiters to raise acceptance standards. The Washington Post reports that felons and recent drug users need not apply, and the pool of applicants also is better educated. For the first time since 2004, the Army is on track this year to meet its goal of making sure 90% of recruits have high school diplomas.

The changes are a relief to a military that had been issuing more felony waivers—511 in 2007—as it struggled to fill recruiting quotas. "We are not even going to consider" anyone convicted of crimes such as assault, arson, and robbery or who tests positive for drugs or alcohol, says an Army Recruiting Command official. Some top brass had feared the current wars could end the Army’s all-volunteer status.

US Army soldiers gather before a mission to observe an Iraqi police recruiting drive in Mosul, Iraq, on Nov. 4, 2008.
US Army soldiers gather before a mission to observe an Iraqi police recruiting drive in Mosul, Iraq, on Nov. 4, 2008.   (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
US Army Sgt. First Class Andrew Holland takes a phone call at the Wilkes County, N.C., Army Recruiting Station on April 30, 2008.
US Army Sgt. First Class Andrew Holland takes a phone call at the Wilkes County, N.C., Army Recruiting Station on April 30, 2008.   (AP Photo/Jason E. Miczek)
Maj. Gen. Thomas Bostick, head of the Army Recruiting Command, talks about recruiting during an interview with The Associated Press on Nov. 6, 2008, at Fort Jackson, S.C.
Maj. Gen. Thomas Bostick, head of the Army Recruiting Command, talks about recruiting during an interview with The Associated Press on Nov. 6, 2008, at Fort Jackson, S.C.   (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)
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8 comments
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TerrifiedCitizen
Apr 19, 09 11:44 AM CDT
If it's such a great option, why are the suicide rates out of control? Reply
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NutsInNY
Apr 19, 09 11:46 AM CDT
For all the overused adverbs out there, I sure could use one in the headline on this story. (See, ethical_person, I'm not a grammar anarchist!) Reply
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freethemall
Apr 19, 09 12:37 PM CDT
For ever dark cloud...... Reply
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Mad
Apr 19, 09 12:38 PM CDT
Recently, the Army had only 75% HS graduates. Imaging you're in a squad of 4 troops, in the middle of a fire fight, wondering which of the four men fighting to save your ass was too stupid to graduate high school Reply
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Derni
Apr 19, 09 3:47 PM CDT
okay wait a minute-many students dropout because high school is so boring. And many successful men have dropped out of high school and/or colege. And another interesting stat-more males are leaving education than females. College is next-it is over priced and doesn't prepare you for the REAL world. Look for major chnages. And some of the smartest-that's intellectually speaking-students will not do as well as some dropouts that have skills in the other areas-social or physical etc areas of development-so we should not be too quick to condemn someone without a HS diploma-especxailly since it is basically meaningless today-its just a bridge to another school where they bore you for 2 to 4 more years until you join the unemployed and can't pay back ur loans. Reply
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