WASHINGTON (Nov. 3) -- Are America's youth too fat, dumb or dishonest to defend the nation against its enemies?
The latest Army statistics show a stunning 75 percent of military-age youth are ineligible to join the military because they are overweight, can't pass entrance exams, have dropped out of high school or had run-ins with the law.
So many young people between the prime recruiting ages of 17 and 24 cannot meet minimum standards that a group of retired military leaders is calling for more investment in early childhood education to combat the insidious effects of junk food and inadequate education.
"We've never had this problem of young people being obese like we have today," said Gen. John Shalikashvili, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
He calls the rising number of youth unfit for duty a matter of national security. "We should be concerned about how this will impact this overstretched Army and its ability to recruit."
Shalikashvili is among dozens of retired generals, admirals and civilian Pentagon officials who have banded together as Mission Readiness: Military Leaders for Kids. The group, which includes former NATO commander and presidential candidate Wesley Clark, will appear with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan at the National Press Club on Thursday to urge immediate action to reduce dropout rates and improve the physical and moral fitness of the nation's youth.
They will cite research that shows quality early childhood education raises graduation rates by up to 44 percent and reduces the odds of being arrested for a violent crime by age 18.
Douglas Smith of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command said 2008 data shows about three in 10 youths have an initial barrier to enlistment.
Most aren't insurmountable. "If you're overweight, we tell you to come back when you've lost the weight. If you don't score well on the armed forces aptitude test, we suggest you study and take it again," he said.
Between 2004 and 2008, the Army more than doubled the number of "conduct" waivers it granted to would-be soldiers with criminal or misdemeanor records. The loosened standards proved necessary in a time of war and amid a booming economy that forced military recruiters to work overtime to fill the ranks.
The new warnings about a generation of couch potatoes comes just weeks after the Pentagon announced its best recruiting year since the all-volunteer force began in 1974. The economic meltdown and rising unemployment, combined with bigger military bonuses and benefits, enticed hundreds of thousands to enlist despite the inevitability most would be sent to war.
The plethora of would-be recruits allowed the military services to be choosier after years of taking in more high school dropouts and those needing extra physical training to meet weight requirements.
Recruiting may have gotten easier, but "the good times don't stay forever," warned David Segal, a University of Maryland military sociologist. When the economy recovers and young people are able to get jobs or can afford to go to college, the military will be faced with the same out-of-shape, ill-prepared pool of recruits as before.
"Recruiting will get tough again," he said. "The trend line is clear: The youth population is getting less healthy."
It's actually become an issue with military itself. . . there was a serious report on this issue when Bush was in office I believe.
let me look it up . . . . might take a while
*edi:* Actually - that didn't take long at all. . . . I found it on an old forum I use to frequent. It's an old article from 2009 - I couldn't quickly find a news-source for it that wasn't 404.
Ridiclous? :shrug: Maybe
But they definitely didn't come up with the issue on their own.
All in all - I don't see weight-alone to be an issue. That can be remedied.
I see the health problems that come with it for many to be the actual concern.
It's not really that ridiculous. Consider that obesity hits the lower class the hardest. Guess what class most military recruits come from?
It's not really that ridiculous. Consider that obesity hits the lower class the hardest. Guess what class most military recruits come from?
White middle class.
*sigh* Well I was right last time I looked. Stupid 2009.
I might be wrong - things might have changed since I last looked, too.
White, yes - but middle class might be up for grabs.
I might be wrong - things might have changed since I last looked, too.
White, yes - but middle class might be up for grabs.
Compared to the rest of the world, all Americans are filthy rich. If you don’t believe it, just listen to a few U.N. Global Warming summits.
apdst is a tax expert.
Not from what I've been reading. We've got another couple decades of cheap oil. The the reserves get dramatically more expensive to access.
I like the gas prices in Europe. I actually think our government should start raising the tax on gas to slowly wean us off of it. But I'm a liberal. :shrug:
The government 'budding' in on marriage. Good. The government making a lot of flyers telling people to eat healthy. Bad. Americans really deserve the government we get.
Indeed. A quote from an Indian immigrant has always stuck in my head about why he moved to America. He said he wanted to live in a place where the poor people are fat. :mrgreen:
You forgot to add the part that explains why she said that. Namely that military leaders say that 1 in 4 young people are unfit to serve their country because they're too fat. In that context, using national security as another reason to try and curb childhood obesity makes perfect sense.
Only in a draft.
And own so much stuff they are rich compared to him and his right?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?