Army prep school draws dropouts

[gi4obama]

FORT JACKSON, S.C. - Austin Swarner left high school to care for his mother while she fought a losing battle with cancer. Tony Brown wanted to begin supporting himself and left two classes shy of a diploma. Haelee Holden got tired of trying to make it through school while flipping burgers until 1 a.m.

But the Army, eager to fill its ranks amid wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, doesn't see them as dropouts. They are recruits who only need a GED before they are ready to begin basic training.

So, the Army formally opened its first prep school Wednesday.

"It's academic immersion," said Col. Jeffrey Sanderson, chief of staff at Fort Jackson, home of the Army's largest basic training school. "Our studies show that with only three out of every 10 people of military age being capable of joining the Army, we are going to have to do something different."

That includes turning six World War II-era buildings at the base into a mini-campus of spartan classrooms and barracks. Under the yearlong pilot project, classes of about 60 soldiers will enter the monthlong program every week

Read more:

http://www.mercurynews.com/politics/ci_10323857

[amandabeech]

1. "Only three out of every 10 people of military age being capable of joining the Army"

I find this very surprising.

I wonder what the problems are.

I'm really curious.

[Ex Lurker]

2. several reasons

psychiatric "problems," for one If you've ever been on psychiatric drugs, you're excluded. That includes drugs like Ritalin, so a lot of kids with ADD/ADHD aren't eligible. Then you have the typical scrapes with the law. They will waiver a lot of minor to moderate stuff, but anything serious leaves you out, no matter what anybody says. Plus the dropouts mentioned in the story, And then you have just a lot of kids who aren't capable of even minimal exertion. They can't walk a hundred yards without getting out of breath, much less pass the initial military screening, which isn't that tough. Millions of kids are in just abysmal physical condition.

This isn't anything new. 25% of WWII inductees were deemed unfit for military service, too.

[amandabeech]

3. Thanks.

The WWII number of 1 out of 4 not being acceptable seems about right, considering the factors you mention plus the flat foot, bad eyesight, bad hearing, injuries, etc.

However, 7 out of 10 is astonishing. If, heaven forbid, McCain gets in, even a draft will not get him enough bodies to fight the world. Will physical fitness pre-induction camp be the next thing? Maybe previous Ritalin use will become a waivable condition as well.

[Ex Lurker]

4. I think the big thing is the

physical component I mentioned. Look around and see all the morbidly obese kids. I have a teacher friend who took his class to the zoo on a field trip, and half of them were too pooped to finish a walking tour. It's a serious issue nowadays. Kids by and large stunningly inactive, unlike previous generations.

[jmowreader]

5. They've had THAT for a long time now

When you get to your basic training post, your first stop is Reception Station...there you get a haircut, shots, uniforms and assignment to the company you're going to take basic training in. They also give them a physical fitness test...if you don't pass, you get sent to a fitness training company.

And as for the Ritalin thing...as many kids are on it these days, they'll HAVE to either not ask about it, or waiver it, if they want an army in ten years.