Dumbing-Down of the U.S. Army (1 Viewer)

[Canuck]

The Dumbing-Down of the U.S. Army
And some modest proposals for countering the trend.
By Fred Kaplan
Posted Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2005, at 1:41 PM PT


Further evidence that the war in Iraq is wrecking the U.S. Army: Recruiters, having failed to meet their enlistment targets, are now being authorized to pursue high-school dropouts and (not to mince words) stupid people.

This year the Army set a goal of recruiting 80,000 active-duty soldiers, but it wound up with just 73,000—almost 10 percent short. As a result, the Army Times reported this week, the Pentagon has decided to make up the difference by expanding the pool—by letting up to 10 percent of new recruits be young men and women who have neither graduated high school nor earned a General Equivalency Diploma.

More than that, the Los Angeles Times reports today that 4 percent of recruits will be allowed to score as low as in the 16th to 30th percentile—a grouping known as "Category IV"—on the U.S. Armed Forces' mental-aptitude exam.

lets talk about goon squads
http://slate.msn.com/id/2127487/?nav=fo:3oops:

 

[cnredd]

More than that, the Los Angeles Times reports today that 4 percent of recruits will be allowed to score as low as in the 16th to 30th percentile—a grouping known as "Category IV"—on the U.S. Armed Forces' mental-aptitude exam.

They're the ones who went to school in Canada....

 

[Canuck]

you wish you had us in there with ya
come on
you know you do
u love all N americans

However it is disconcerting to say the least these thugs with grd 8 education
might blow up the latreen lol

 

[Canuck]

letter back home:


DEAR BUBBA Gump
Hey BUBBA you can git in the marines now at grade 2 edgiomacation
well shazammm
gee GOLY

never got so well treated we get 3 square meals a Day
back home in alabamy thays got only one meal of taters and refried beans
or grits every day
now we 's a gettin 3 meals they call them thar new fangled mre
capt. petersen done told me thars no time to clean latreens them thar
insurgencies are using them thar thingidy boppers
I still miss grandpappies Corn licker something terrible
And grand ma's chewy tobaci that she grows
thats all the time I have to write
tomorrow theys a wantin me to learn how to push the bottons on the nuclear bomb sos I can be ready to start the insurgency

 

[MSgt]

letter back home:


DEAR BUBBA Gump
Hey BUBBA you can git in the marines now at grade 2 edgiomacation
well shazammm
gee GOLY

never got so well treated we get 3 square meals a Day
back home in alabamy thays got only one meal of taters and refried beans
or grits every day
now we 's a gettin 3 meals they call them thar new fangled mre
capt. petersen done told me thars no time to clean latreens them thar
insurgencies are using them thar thingidy boppers
I still miss grandpappies Corn licker something terrible
And grand ma's chewy tobaci that she grows
thats all the time I have to write
tomorrow theys a wantin me to learn how to push the bottons on the nuclear bomb sos I can be ready to start the insurgency

Look professor.........your post was about the Army's latest attempts to fix recruiting problems (which is true) and then you switched it up and mentioned Marines. The Marines have not made any change to their criteria to enlistments and will not. We continue to meet our annual quotas. How can you expect to be taken serious when you don't know what you are talking about?

 

[oldreliable67]

How can you expect to be taken serious when you don't know what you are talking about?

Certainly hasn't let that stop him thus far. I actually saw one or two posts where he used complete sentences. The content, though easier to understand, was still :bs

 

[MSgt]

An excerpt from a fellow commentator...…

The Left in America has somehow recently concocted this notion that if branches of the military are not fulfilling their quotas, something is going terribly wrong and, of course, the President is to blame. It should be pointed out that under the Clinton administration every branch but the Marine Corps missed its recruiting quotas, yet not a peep from national media or liberals in general. I guess it was OK to miss quotas under the great appeaser that was President Clinton.

A Heritage Foundation study reported that during the Clinton administration “the military [was] suffering its worst personnel crisis since the draft ended in 1973. The U.S. Navy missed its recruiting goal by nearly 7,000 sailors in 1998, forcing many ships to deploy understaffed. In response, the Navy’s leadership decided in 1999 to accept a higher percentage of recruits without high school diplomas. That same year, both the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force missed their recruiting goals. As noted … only the Marine Corps, by far the smallest of the four services, has avoided a major personnel crisis.”

In February of this year it was reported that the Marine Corps missed its January recruiting quota by a mere 84 recruits of their goal of 3,270, breaking its 10-year streak of success. This was followed by reports in March that the Marine Corps had missed its February recruitment goal of 2,964 by 192.

The military missing recruitment quotas during war should not alarm us and the art of “dumbing” our forces is certainly not a new invention. It is when the military fails to meet these quotas during relatively peaceful times that should be cause for concern. As Marines and soldiers take the overwhelming majority of casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq, I am not at all distraught that the Marine Corps and Army are not meeting their recruitment goals.

War is the greatest filtering process the military could ever unintentionally undergo. If someone decides that he or she does not want to join the Marine Corps or Army during a time of war – I say “great!” Maybe these heavily combat-orientated branches of the military weren’t the right decision for that individual to begin with. Make way for the recruit behind you who is willing to go to war.

Our military gets stronger during a time of war as those who are willing to face war – which is, after all, the primary function of the military – join knowing full well they could be next to board that C-130. Those deterred from military service because the threat of war is imminent are not fit for military service – especially not with the Marines or Army who are seeing the most ground combat and taking the most casualties.

http://www.americandaily.com/article/7831

 

[MSgt]

Certainly hasn't let that stop him thus far. I actually saw one or two posts where he used complete sentences. The content, though easier to understand, was still :bs

I know. I caught your reply to him. He also seems to have a problem with misrepresentation.

 

[SKILMATIC]

The Dumbing-Down of the U.S. Army
And some modest proposals for countering the trend.
By Fred Kaplan
Posted Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2005, at 1:41 PM PT


Further evidence that the war in Iraq is wrecking the U.S. Army: Recruiters, having failed to meet their enlistment targets, are now being authorized to pursue high-school dropouts and (not to mince words) stupid people.

This year the Army set a goal of recruiting 80,000 active-duty soldiers, but it wound up with just 73,000—almost 10 percent short. As a result, the Army Times reported this week, the Pentagon has decided to make up the difference by expanding the pool—by letting up to 10 percent of new recruits be young men and women who have neither graduated high school nor earned a General Equivalency Diploma.

More than that, the Los Angeles Times reports today that 4 percent of recruits will be allowed to score as low as in the 16th to 30th percentile—a grouping known as "Category IV"—on the U.S. Armed Forces' mental-aptitude exam.

lets talk about goon squads
http://slate.msn.com/id/2127487/?nav=fo:3oops:

The army hasnt met their recruiting quotas in a very long time. This has nothing to do with the iraqi war. Actually the war boosted the amount of recruits. All branches went over their goals right before the afghanistan war all the way into the middle of the iraqi war. All branches except for the army has met all their goals. And its always been that way.

 

[Canuck]

I'm Very concerned ,About the fact that there are now no qualifications, needed to join the American Armed forces !
is this to allow Mexicans to join for their right to citizenship ?

I remember seeing old cartoons on a music book of a black person in a U.S. military uniform ,while white people looked on .In the caption it read ( better them then us) !
I guess America's, number 1 ,crack squadron of world war 2 ,that won the most medals ,and did the best flying and aerial fighting ,who's record has never been passed, to this very day .the one and only ALL AMERICAN, ALL NEGRO Buffalo Soldiers **The Tustagee Airman.**really showed AMERICA a thing or 2
it seems you really do fight better when you have something that you want bad enough

recalling the Gomer Pile episodes of yesteryear, I thought how illegal Mexicans must feel today, and how bad they want the American dream.
The MEXICANS will be your best soldier America, they fight to become Americans .like your forefathers did .
*********************************************************
****There are now ,no qualifications to join the American Armed forces !.***
*********************************************************
Letter back home:,from PVT first class I. P. Nitely

DEAR BUBBA Gump
Hey BUBBA you can git in the marines now at grade 2 edgimacation
well shazaam
GEE GOLY
never got so well treated we get 3 square meals a Day
back home in Alabamy thays got only one meal of taters and refried beans
or grits every day
now we 's a gettin 3 meals they call them thar new fangled mre
capt. petersen done told me thars no time to clean latreens them thar
insurgencies are using them thar thingidy majigs
I still miss Grandpappies Corn licker something awwwwwe full
And grand ma's chewy tobaci that she grows
thats all the time I have to write
they keeps on telling me that thars terrorists here but I only sees nice peoples
tomorrow theys a wantin me to learn how to push the bottons on the nuclear bomb sos I can be ready to start the insurgency

Do they want the poor Mexicans to join now in a war they told us would be over fast and not cost much liars they lie all the time because they are twits
that are bent on globalization
:spin: this one NEO~CON~ARTISTS !
Notice that rummy dummy rumsfeld still calls the enemy, the insurgency
when we all know that America is the insurgency and are fighting the people that live there .dumb it down cant have the American people thinking about preemptive strike ,deliberate over use of power on
civilians, depleted URANIUM bombs NUCLEAR with a 1000 yr ½ life .THe UN inspectors are accessing the charges to be laid on the perpetrators STOP the war, bring back the paint ballers association of American ( NATL gaurd ) The War on terror is !the generator of terror
Come to your senses America you are creating millions of terrorists
in my sugnature is the reason
You can not win your leaders fool you
will bring A HARD RAIN A gona FALL On YOU !
look at my signature AMERICA

 

[MSgt]

I'm Very concerned ,About the fact that there are now no qualifications, needed to join the American Armed forces !
is this to allow Mexicans to join for their right to citizenship ?

I remember seeing old cartoons on a music book of a black person in a U.S. military uniform ,while white people looked on .In the caption it read ( better them then us) !
I guess America's, number 1 ,crack squadron of world war 2 ,that won the most medals ,and did the best flying and aerial fighting ,who's record has never been passed, to this very day .the one and only ALL AMERICAN, ALL NEGRO Buffalo Soldiers **The Tustagee Airman.**really showed AMERICA a thing or 2
it seems you really do fight better when you have something that you want bad enough

recalling the Gomer Pile episodes of yesteryear, I thought how illegal Mexicans must feel today, and how bad they want the American dream.
The MEXICANS will be your best soldier America, they fight to become Americans .like your forefathers did .
*********************************************************
****There are now ,no qualifications to join the American Armed forces !.***
*********************************************************
Letter back home:,from PVT first class I. P. Nitely

DEAR BUBBA Gump
Hey BUBBA you can git in the marines now at grade 2 edgimacation
well shazaam
GEE GOLY
never got so well treated we get 3 square meals a Day
back home in Alabamy thays got only one meal of taters and refried beans
or grits every day
now we 's a gettin 3 meals they call them thar new fangled mre
capt. petersen done told me thars no time to clean latreens them thar
insurgencies are using them thar thingidy majigs
I still miss Grandpappies Corn licker something awwwwwe full
And grand ma's chewy tobaci that she grows
thats all the time I have to write
they keeps on telling me that thars terrorists here but I only sees nice peoples
tomorrow theys a wantin me to learn how to push the bottons on the nuclear bomb sos I can be ready to start the insurgency

Do they want the poor Mexicans to join now in a war they told us would be over fast and not cost much liars they lie all the time because they are twits
that are bent on globalization
:spin: this one NEO~CON~ARTISTS !
Notice that rummy dummy rumsfeld still calls the enemy, the insurgency
when we all know that America is the insurgency and are fighting the people that live there .dumb it down cant have the American people thinking about preemptive strike ,deliberate over use of power on
civilians, depleted URANIUM bombs NUCLEAR with a 1000 yr ½ life .THe UN inspectors are accessing the charges to be laid on the perpetrators STOP the war, bring back the paint ballers association of American ( NATL gaurd ) The War on terror is !the generator of terror
Come to your senses America you are creating millions of terrorists
in my sugnature is the reason
You can not win your leaders fool you
will bring A HARD RAIN A gona FALL On YOU !
look at my signature AMERICA

Damn, you're an idiot.

 

[SKILMATIC]

Damn, you're an idiot.

I know i know the frenchies up there beat him up side the head with some old french bread.

 

[UtahBill]

Well, the year is 1964, and I am joining the Navy so I won't get drafted into the Army. Didn't want to go in-country Vietnam, but somehow I did anyway.
That is another story, tho, something about a brown water navy that I was not aware of at the time.
Anyway, there are tests to be taken, and I am sitting next to a guy trying to get into the marines. On one of the longer tests, I scored in the 90s. The future marine scored in the teens. I figured that he was not going to be selected. I was wrong. He had muscles on top of muscles, and had that slack jaw vacant expression look. Perfect cannon fodder for the time. High tech was not an issue on the battlefield back then.
The military has taken near retards in the past, and if they get hard up will do so again. BUT, they are not likely to allow them in critical positions if it means endangering other troops. Times have changed in some ways, but not in others.

 

[stsburns]

I'm Very concerned ,About the fact that there are now no qualifications, needed to join the American Armed forces !QUOTE]
:bs , if you knew more about Military, you would have one less enemy! Me! In order for someone to be considered for the Military, they must meet some basic qualifications.

Read the 5 pages of qualfications and get back to me:http://usmilitary.about.com/od/joiningthemilitary/a/enlstandards.htm

Enjoy! :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[Canuck]

I'm Very concerned ,About the fact that there are now no qualifications, needed to join the American Armed forces !QUOTE]
:bs , if you knew more about Military, you would have one less enemy! Me! In order for someone to be considered for the Military, they must meet some basic qualifications.

Read the 5 pages of qualfications and get back to me:http://usmilitary.about.com/od/joiningthemilitary/a/enlstandards.htm

Enjoy! :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

And if you would have read the article I posted originally
you would now know that qualifications have been lifted ill post again
so even uninformed indeviduals as yourself, may see the truth .I understnd SON it not your fault, But I hope you learned a lesson to read the article before commenting as your comments are wrong and silly
there are no qualifications to join the armed forces of America now !

again I submit to you
is this so that illegal mexicans and others can earn their citizenship papers
as was the case in Gulf war number 1 !
you really have to read the articles before making comments
people that do not ,end up looking silly !

http://slate.msn.com/id/2127487/?nav=fo

If you don't know the truth you are a blind man groping in the dark





Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 485 Re: Dumbing-Down of the U.S. Army

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm Very concerned ,About the fact that there are now no qualifications, needed to join the American Armed forces !
is this to allow Mexicans to join for their right to citizenship ?

I remember seeing old cartoons on a music book of a black person in a U.S. military uniform ,while white people looked on .In the caption it read ( better them then us) !
I guess America's, number 1 ,crack squadron of world war 2 ,that won the most medals ,and did the best flying and aerial fighting ,who's record has never been passed, to this very day .the one and only ALL AMERICAN, ALL NEGRO Buffalo Soldiers **The Tustagee Airman.**really showed AMERICA a thing or 2
it seems you really do fight better when you have something that you want bad enough

I thought how illegal Mexicans must feel today, and how bad they want the American dream.
The MEXICANS will be your best soldier America, they fight to become Americans .like your forefathers did .

UTAHBILL
Well, the year is 1964, and I am joining the Navy so I won't get drafted into the Army. Didn't want to go in-country Vietnam, but somehow I did anyway.
That is another story, tho, something about a brown water navy that I was not aware of at the time.
Anyway, there are tests to be taken, and I am sitting next to a guy trying to get into the marines. On one of the longer tests, I scored in the 90s. The future marine scored in the teens. I figured that he was not going to be selected. I was wrong. He had muscles on top of muscles, and had that slack jaw vacant expression look. Perfect cannon fodder for the time. High tech was not an issue on the battlefield back then.
The military has taken near retards in the past, and if they get hard up will do so again. BUT, they are not likely to allow them in critical positions if it means endangering other troops. Times have changed in some ways, but not in others.

I know, you know ,But they dont know, they are young and full on arrogance
but so were we , many years ago.
did you ever READ the buffalo soldiers
I cried when I read it, the Negros were treated like dirt by it's nation at the time ,Yet became America's most decorated ,and best air squadron in history.they fought for a cause to be free at home
of course its all glossed over ,*dumbed down* by the people that dont want to see that truth

Mexicans will fight well for America
they fight for the same reason your forefathers fought ,to become American citizens

 

[teacher]

Just wondering if you, like I, teacher, of the massive brain, have ever served in the US Army?

 

[Canuck]

Just wondering if you, like I, teacher, of the massive brain, have ever served in the US Army?

I had a good break in lifepay wasn't high enough, I was fortunate in life .
hat are you the grand poobah Of tree

 

[stsburns]

And if you would have read the article I posted originally
you would now know that qualifications have been lifted ill post again
so even uninformed indeviduals as yourself, may see the truth .I understnd SON it not your fault
there are no qualifications to join the armed forces of America now !

again I submit to you
is this so that illegal mexicans and others can earn their citizenship papers
as was the case in Gulf war number 1 !
you really have to read the articles before making comments
people that do not ,end up looking silly !

http://slate.msn.com/id/2127487/?nav=fo

If you don't know the truth you are a blind man groping in the dark





Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 485 Re: Dumbing-Down of the U.S. Army

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm Very concerned ,About the fact that there are now no qualifications, needed to join the American Armed forces !
is this to allow Mexicans to join for their right to citizenship ?

I remember seeing old cartoons on a music book of a black person in a U.S. military uniform ,while white people looked on .In the caption it read ( better them then us) !
I guess America's, number 1 ,crack squadron of world war 2 ,that won the most medals ,and did the best flying and aerial fighting ,who's record has never been passed, to this very day .the one and only ALL AMERICAN, ALL NEGRO Buffalo Soldiers **The Tustagee Airman.**really showed AMERICA a thing or 2
it seems you really do fight better when you have something that you want bad enough

recalling the Gomer Pile episodes of yesteryear, I thought how illegal Mexicans must feel today, and how bad they want the American dream.
The MEXICANS will be your best soldier America, they fight to become Americans .like your forefathers did .

So you trust the Bill Gates propagandists over any other news organization you could've got the same information from. Blasphemy! Do you have any idea how hard it is to pass boot camp? No, cause you don't know!

Now how do you say "Slate got it wrong"? By simply stating everything in the Army Times that Slate didn't say!

Individuals may be eligible if they have been out of high school for at least six months and can pass a physical exam and the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery...

Individuals may be eligible if they have been out of high school for at least six months and can pass a physical exam and the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery...Before attending the GED course on the Army’s tab, the person must enlist into the Army’s delayed entry program, Smith said...

Recruiters will also screen each applicant before enlisting him to determine the likelihood that he will complete the program, Smith said though he declined to elaborate on what that screening entails.
http://www.armytimes.com/print.php?f=0-ARMYPAPER-1115401.php

Like with any other government program, their are always strings attached to any deal. Such as if the government gives you money to get through college they will expect at least 4 years in the Military service. Also what is so bad if people having jobs. What part in there offends you? What is your problem with Mexians? A Mexian that lives next door to me is in the Military does that offend you too?

 

[Canuck]

Right now its easy 0 qualifications
and please
dont try and compare army with 82nd airborne or rangers navy seals
you will kill me with laughter
your remark about mexicans tells me didnt learn a thing about my post
as I raised them above you not lower
I wouldn't presume to push your buttons.if I did want to do that
you would be red in the face 90% of the time


as UTAHBILL said

RIGHT now it takes a big jaw and stunned look
no educational standard

all you little boys are too fast for the gun you dont
see the big picture

as the
young bull turned to the old bull and said lets run down there and hump a cow
the old bull replied no lets walk down and hump them all

 

[stsburns]

Right now its easy 0 qualifications
and please
dont try and compare army with 82nd airborne or rangers navy seals
you will kill me with laughter
your remark about mexicans tells me didnt learn a thing about my post
as I raised them above you not lower
as UTAHBILL said

RIGHT now it takes a big jaw and stunned look
no educational standard

all you little boys are too fast for the gun you dont
see the big picture

as the
young bull turned to the old bull and said lets run down there and hump a cow
the old bull replied no lets walk down and hump them all

When I read your posts I try my best to deal with you. But for some weird reason the word "Weasel" sticks out. Like how you won't answer a single question I ask you, and you try to Weasel you way out of answering questions? Also read my post on your complaints "In the News" thread.

 

[Canuck]

as the
young bull turned to the old bull and said lets run down there and hump a cow
the old bull replied no lets walk down and hump them all

 

[teacher]

I had a good break in lifepay wasn't high enough, I was fortunate in life .
hat are you the grand poobah Of tree

Be a sport and educate us on the meaning of "tree".

 

[MSgt]

Right now its easy 0 qualifications
and please
dont try and compare army with 82nd airborne or rangers navy seals
you will kill me with laughter
your remark about mexicans tells me didnt learn a thing about my post
as I raised them above you not lower
I wouldn't presume to push your buttons.if I did want to do that
you would be red in the face 90% of the time


as UTAHBILL said

RIGHT now it takes a big jaw and stunned look
no educational standard

all you little boys are too fast for the gun you dont
see the big picture

as the
young bull turned to the old bull and said lets run down there and hump a cow
the old bull replied no lets walk down and hump them all

OMG...Why do you feel like you have an ounce of rating to attempt to talk on American military?

1) The 82nd Airborne is the Army.

2) The Rangers are the Army.

3) Seals are in the Navy.

There are four branches in the U.S. Armed Forces - Marines, Navy, Air Force, and the Army. In regards to your rediculous little attempt to enlighten the masses....do you think this is the first time that the Army has lowered it's pre qualifications? You don't find it at all curious or a smack to you face that the Army, Navy, and the Air Force had enlistment problems throughout the 90's under President Clinton? By the way...the 90's was an era of "peace." Is it "odd" to you that in a time of war that recruitment would not flourish? What is the point of your ludicrous posts?

I would just simply ignore your silly little prophetic and misguided posts were it not that they were so insanely stupid and demanded corrections.

 

[M14 Shooter]

Gunny:
Join the ranks of the enlightened-
-put Canuck on ignore.
M14

 

[UtahBill]

Gunny:
Join the ranks of the enlightened-
-put Canuck on ignore.
M14

Are you serious? You consider yourself enlightened? Do you expect to stay that way by ignoring the opinions of others?
He might be a brain dead hockey-pucked canadian, but I know a few fellow shipmates, a couple former army guys, and several marines who by combining their intellect could not measure up to him, as bad as he is. And like I said in another post, he is probably lonely up there with nothing to do between hackey games.
And you gotta admit, he can be damned entertaining....:mrgreen: