Bush did it ! He dumbed down the Army !

[Wiregrass Willie]

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Army met its recruiting goals for the last year but enlisted thousands of new soldiers with criminal records and fewer who have earned high school diplomas, according to figures released Wednesday.

The spike of new enlistees given "character" waivers for fiscal 2007 continues a steady upward trend in the number of recruits with past arrests and convictions allowed into the Army since the start of the war in Iraq.

More than 11 percent of the Army recruits needed waivers for problems with the law -- up from 7.9 percent the previous year and more than double the percentage in 2003, the year the U.S. invaded Iraq. Maj. Gen. Thomas Bostick, commander of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command, stressed that a vast majority, about 87 percent, of those allowed in with waivers had misdemeanors for such offenses as joy riding or violating curfew. Most faced little punishment beyond community service for their actions, Bostick said.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/services/newspaper/printedition/thursday/chi-recruit11oct11,0,614332.story?coll=chi_news_local_util

[Olney Blue]

1. This is bad news.

[ixion]

2. not that it was ever considered the most intelligent place to begin with...

vis a vis "military intelligence" has been known to be an oxymoron. :evilgrin:

[Vinca]

3. Recreated in his own image - arrest records and all. nt

[bronxiteforever]

4. New Bush slogan "Weakening America, One Institution at a Time"

[Zywiec]

5. Thank God no one here would joy ride or violate curfew

That might go on your permanent record!!

[Thothmes]

6. Nothing New Here

Same stuff was done during the Viet Nam war. In the late 60's the armed forces were ordered to recruit 100,000 men out of mental group IV. Any record short of an armed felony could be waived. This stuff happens when you actually start to use an army. Suspect Abe Lincoln had the same kind of problem in 1864.