16 October 2005

the Army, the GED, and the public

So the army has decided to dumb down its standards. We're letting in just about anyone: dumb motherfuckers, people without GEDs, etc... right?

Well, no. Not really.

So it got big press: the Army set up a new program to allow recruits in without a GED. What most articles don't say (or emphasize) is that Army Educataion Plus program doesn't so much let in people without GEDs as it does pay for them to take the test.

You cannot be in the US Amry without a GED or a High School diploma. We'll now pay for the classes and/or the test. The cap of new recruits allowed in is still 10%. The one change we did make, the one that does freak me out, just a little bit, is the ASVAB testing changes. We're letting in more people in ASVAB category IV (16-30). That means, from 1-99, you scored 16-30 on a fairly easy test. That's not a thinker, per se. Still, they're only going to be 4% of the incoming recriuts (up from 2%). It's not horrible, but its not so super.

As a nice little counterpoint, lets look at who we need in this new kind of warfare. The US Army needs leaders at all levels. We have squads, sometimes teams acting independantly within cities, interacting with civilians, making decisions that affect international relations. ASVAB cat IV guys aren't going to be able to that well. The Army Times quoting LTG James Helmly (Chief, Army Reserve Command):

" [T]he best soldiers in today's war on terrorism are 'learners' who adapt.”

posted by Interested Soldier @ 21:19