75 Percent of Young Americans Are Unfit for Military Duty

[stvincentferrer]

by Andrea Stone

Posted: 11/3/09
Filed Under:Nation

http://www.sphere.com/2009/11/03/70-percent-of-young-americans-are-unfit-for-military-duty/

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."

[trident59]

The U S Army needs to form Physical Fitness platoons like the Marines did back in the 50's & 60's. Run the fat little *#^%*! people to death.

Make sure they truely "wash out".

[AntoniusMaximus]

well, I may have had a freak injury in the Army, but many of my fellow comrades had other issues, we have a lot of people nowadays who get stress fractures like nothing else in Basic, to quote a drill sergeant this is the video game generation.  50 years ago this wasn't a problem as kids would play football or baseball outside rather than play it on the X-box, and also our diet has changed quite a bit too, I don't think most Americans get enough of important vitamins like calcium.  We eat too much fried and fatty foods, though to a certain extent the kinds of food is not be as important as the quantity of food we consume.  We are truly victims of our own success.  But I must say though that they should reevaluate particularly body mass, because our government, in my opinion, uses outdated health information, I think there are plenty of 6 foot 230 lbs men are fit for duty and are able to do everything a 170 lbs private could, probably even better (the Army weight is 202, the last I checked).   I don't think what is overweight is overweight these days, the Dutch are among the tallest people in the world due to genetics and diets, the Dutch government doesn't speak of a tallness epidemic, considering being tall has many disadvantages.  So i feel some of the concern over weight is really overblown particularly for men.  I am considered to be obese at 220, and yet I don't feel it and I am able to do all the functions I did in my military days before my nerve injury.  It's perception that is made into policy.

I don't think the real problem is physical, I think most americans are unfit mentally for military duty.  Many of the ones I joined with, did not seem to even have a basic capacity to understand error or accept basic commands.  This isn't the military of my grandfather who fought in the Pacific, I think in some ways the modern soldier is spoiled because of the conveniences and technological advances that have significently both lowered casulties and increased contact on the homefront, many of my friends deployed are able to speak with their spouses, friends, once a week or so, whereas my grandmother waited sometimes months to hear from my grandfather.  And you throw into the mix that the soldiers coming in are spoiled developmentally no matter of socio-economic background (honestly how many lower class blacks don't own a cell phone or x-box) and are either very self centered individuals or gangbangers, you are creating a recipe for trouble.  Many of the casulties in the wars were caused by careless individuals, my battalion commander told us how in Iraq, a patrol car decided to stop, it was quiet, no stirring, not even a mouse, and the troops in the vehicle decided to take a little nap, well eventually a terrorist slipped a bomb into the vehicle.  This inspired my battalion commander to post everywhere a sign that I have taken with me everywhere, "complency kills."

[i.p.i.]

i think the statistics would be different if there was a draft and all young people were being tested.  not many kids choose the military today if they have other options so they are less likely to do well on aptitude or intelligence tests.  it's too bad because the military can make men out of boys.

antoniusmaximus is right, too, about standards being outdated.  a six foot man who weighs 230 shouldn't be considered obese, just a linebacker.

[Cyriacus]

If it so happens that the draft is reactivated for the sake of another aggressive, unjust war, I will not seek medical deferment (though I am frail), conscientious objection, or any other exemption. However, I will also not take up arms to advance injustice, nor will I even fill out paperwork or operate a computer pursuant to unjust ends. I will simply resist, not flee. Let them throw me in prison or shoot me for desertion, as I will not assent in the least to an unjust war, nor will I have done anything wrong to cause me to flee.

[Iolanthe]

How amusing that this article is gender-neutral.

[charlesh]

I'm doing my part to change that. I recently started working for a nutrition company called Herbalife (www.herbalife.com), and we are very familiar with these obesity statistics. The problem does not just stop at military eligibility. Most deaths that occur are from heart attacks, heart conditions, strokes, and diabetes. Over half of these are COMPLETELY avoidable. But we are what we eat, and we are killing ourselves with what we put in our mouths. Since using the Herbalife products, I myself half lost 15 pounds, I'm down to 10% body fat, and my energy level has gone from lethargic to completely normal.

Of course, I suppose I'm not eligible for military service, but that's cuz I'm too old!

[Scipio_a]

The headline sounds like BS...I've seen tons of young ones...fat and fit....Maybe we're getting warmed up to Zero's Brown Shirt Army....they'll take anyone willing to suppress their neighbor.

[PeterII]

They should just simply measure body fat % and set a standard such as 24% or below for men as acceptable.  How can the army be so far behind physical testing standards? 

[BrevisVir55]

I've got a friend that is attempting to enlist now after graduation. He's 6ft but overweight. Now, I'm 5 ft 2. and 120 pounds. In the JROTC fitness test during which the Master Sgt made a concerted attempt to "weed out the fat bastards"    we both passed with the highest fitness level in the class. But when he goes to enlist, the Army says drop 40 pounds and come back. That doesn't make any sense...this guy's in shape! He kept pace with me for the entire two miles, did the 71 push-ups just as fast, he was slower than me on the crunches but he did all 78 nevertheless. Those are the army fitness standards for those exercises, correct? If he can do it, let him in...

[timoose]

I've hired young men for nearly forty years. You could see the decline before your eyes. It is not only an overweight problem, nor that they are spoiled, nor that they do not play outside, they have no desire to do anything. They can not pick up something in a proper manner and they do not want to learn. Our society has trained them only for sitting and doing work that women used to do. None have the drive of a man anymore. I don't blame them or their parents entirely, it is a socially engineered effect.
tim

[Herr_Mannelig]

I've got a friend that is attempting to enlist now after graduation. He's 6ft but overweight. Now, I'm 5 ft 2. and 120 pounds. In the JROTC fitness test during which the Master Sgt made a concerted attempt to "weed out the fat bastards"    we both passed with the highest fitness level in the class. But when he goes to enlist, the Army says drop 40 pounds and come back. That doesn't make any sense...this guy's in shape! He kept pace with me for the entire two miles, did the 71 push-ups just as fast, he was slower than me on the crunches but he did all 78 nevertheless. Those are the army fitness standards for those exercises, correct? If he can do it, let him in...

There are other considerations too. The fact he is capable doesn't make him suitable. What about equipment? What if his size would endanger him or reduce the efficiency of the body armour? What if it would reduce his ability to perform certain duties?

It is possible to be too big or too small for a duty regardless of ability.

[voxpopulisuxx]

Good, I hope the army of the NWO dissolves into the fat little puddle of socailist creeps, bloodthirsty goons, and porno loving thugs and dykes that make up its core volunteer force. ( of course not all of them are this way) The fit Americans will be in the Constitutional Military force.

[Texican]

Good, I hope the army of the NWO dissolves into the fat little puddle of socailist creeps, bloodthirsty goons, and porno loving thugs and dykes that make up its core volunteer force. ( of course not all of them are this way) The fit Americans will be in the Constitutional Military force.

Sweet, vox...  I'll make sure to pass on your good wishes to my friends and family still in.  I'm sure they'd love to hear about it.

[Petertherock]

Good, I hope the army of the NWO dissolves into the fat little puddle of socailist creeps, bloodthirsty goons, and porno loving thugs and dykes that make up its core volunteer force. ( of course not all of them are this way) The fit Americans will be in the Constitutional Military force.

And it's because of those "fat little puddle of socailist creeps, bloodthirsty goons, and porno loving thugs and dykes" that you are able to say the crap you just said.