Only days after a report that the Army relaxed its recruitment standards, Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley says the new policy has been rescinded.
Thank goodness. But why was such a dangerous plan adopted in the first place?
Under the plan, people with mental-health and other issues — bipolar disorder, a history of “self-mutilation,” depression and drug and alcohol abuse — were allowed to seek waivers to sign up. That comes as the service races to meet its enlistment goal of 80,000 recruits by September.
Last year it dropped standards, too. To reach 69,000 recruits, the Army accepted more newbies with poor aptitude-test scores and those who’ve used pot.
Hello? This is the US Army — not Mayor de Blasio’s school system, where standards can drop faster than the thermometer in December. Lives are at stake, not to mention vital military objectives.
Surely there are better ways to boost recruitment than relaxing standards — such as, say, with better advertising or higher pay. If funding is a problem, correct that, but don’t compromise readiness.
Meanwhile, the Navy’s top admiral, John Richardson, ordered more training for crews and new rules to ensure ships are certified after two deadly collisions in the Pacific. Some lawmakers blame a lack of funding for the accidents: “We refuse to give [Naval personnel] sufficient training and equipment,” Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) argued.
Does anyone think the demands on the US military — to protect the nation, help allies or respond to humanitarian crises — are shrinking? If anything, America’s Armed Forces need more resources today, and higher, not lower, standards. Given the state of world, that should be a top priority.