Misconduct forces more soldiers out

[unhappycamper]

http://kdhnews.com/military/misconduct-forces-more-soldiers-out/article_d7b3d228-96c6-11e3-a153-001a4bcf6878.html



ILE - This photo April 23, 2013 file photo shows Army Chief of Staff Ray Odierno testifying on Capitol Hill in Washington. The number of U.S. soldiers forced out of the Army because of bad conduct or crimes has soared in the last several years, as the military comes out of a decade of war that put a greater focus on battle competence than character. Data obtained by The Associated Press shows that the number of officers who left the Army due to misconduct tripled in the last three years. And the number of enlisted soldiers forced out for drug, alcohol, crimes and other misconduct shot up from about 5,600 in 2007 as the Iraq war peaked, to more than 11,000 last year.

Misconduct forces more soldiers out
Associated Press
Posted: Sunday, February 16, 2014 4:30 am

WASHINGTON — The number of U.S. soldiers forced out of the Army because of crimes or misconduct soared in the past several years as the military emerges from a decade of war that put a greater focus on battle competence than on character.

Data obtained by The Associated Press shows the number of officers who left the Army due to misconduct more than tripled in the past three years. The number of enlisted soldiers forced out for drugs, alcohol, crimes and other misconduct shot up from about 5,600 in 2007, as the Iraq war peaked, to more than 11,000 last year.

The data reveals stark differences between the military services and underscores the strains that long, repeated deployments to the front lines have had on the Army’s soldiers and their leaders.

It also reflects the Army’s rapid growth in the middle part of the decade, and the decisions to relax standards a bit to bring in and retain tens of thousands of soldiers to fill the ranks as the Pentagon added troops in Iraq and continued the fight in Afghanistan.

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. What I found interesting in that article

was the size of the various military branches.

The Army grew to a peak of about 570,000 soldiers during the height of the wars,

so they have identified about 10% as bad apples.

Which means, in admitting they did not get rid of bad apples before now, that the army knew about and condoned
various discipline problems.

[Historic NY]

2. Enlistment standards dropped considerably in the time things were...

ramping up in Iraq...recruiters were pushing people through that in normal times wouldn't be considered. Some have found a new home base for operations, while hiding out.

The report says the military has seen members from 53 gangs and 100 regions in the U.S. enlist in every branch of the armed forces. Members of every major street gang, some prison gangs, and outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMGs) have been reported on both U.S. and international military installation

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-gang-assessment-us-military-2011-10#ixzz2tbAgUz5y

http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/2011-national-gang-threat-assessment

[libodem]

3. Just what I was thinking

They emptied the jails to find enough recruits.