Quality of U.S. military recruits rises

By Paul Sakuma, AP

Identical twins Melissa Ventura-Benel, center, and Meilyn Ventura-Benel take the U.S. Army oath of enlistment on Feb. 4 in Hayward, Calif. Both are Peruvian and will earn their U.S. citizenship.

EnlargeCloseBy Paul Sakuma, AP

Identical twins Melissa Ventura-Benel, center, and Meilyn Ventura-Benel take the U.S. Army oath of enlistment on Feb. 4 in Hayward, Calif. Both are Peruvian and will earn their U.S. citizenship.

Last year, 99% of recruits had a high school diploma before entering the service, up from 91% in 2006, when fighting in Iraq was near its peak and the economy was stronger.

The increased interest in the armed forces means recruiters can be choosier about whom they let into the military.

"We turn away a lot more people than we have in years past," said Army Staff Sgt. David Harris, a recruiter in Roswell, Ga.

The military has dramatically cut the number of "waivers," which allowed people to join the military despite past misconduct or medical reasons.

The Army granted waivers to 8.7% of the recruits entering the service last fiscal year, down from 15.6% the previous year. Most of those waivers were for medical reasons.

The services said waivers allowed recruiters to make exceptions if they thought a recruit deserved a second chance for a youthful indiscretion or minor health issue.

But the decrease in waivers is an indication that demand among young people for the military has increased so that recruiters are less willing to make exceptions for recruits who don't meet standards.

"When I started (recruiting) in 2006 ... we still had restrictions, but not nearly to the extent we have now," Harris said.

The Army this year also returned the maximum age for enlisting to 35. It had been raised to 42 in 2006. The money available for bonuses has declined in recent years.

Officials say recruits join the military for many reasons, but a lack of jobs has forced many young people to take a harder look at the armed forces.

"That has played a significant role," said Curtis Gilroy, a Pentagon personnel official.

Brett Miles, a 26-year-old from Indianapolis, has a college degree but decided to enlist because it would get him in the service faster than if he had gone through officer training school. "It's something I always wanted to do," he said.

La'Bianca Stitt, 20, said she joined the military for the opportunities. "I'll be traveling the world, learning different languages," she said. "You don't get to see stuff like that every day."

"My mom, of course, really doesn't like it at all," she said.

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