Why does the US Army have low enlistment standards?

Answer 1

There's a lot of screwed up answers here from some really ignorant people. Damn you guys are cute with your comments about body bags and such. Go ahead and say that sh!t to a veteran in person, without your keyboard and monitor in between you.

OK, Army enlistment standards are lower than the other services for several reasons.

1. The Army is the least glamorous of all services, so it suffers from some advertising problems. When someone says "Army, you don't think high-tech like the AF, "The Few, The Proud" like the Marines, or sweet travel and technology like the Navy.
2. The Army has been meeting recruiting goals, but that was before they were expanding by 30,000 people.
3. Thanks to liberal media bias and retards like the ones who delight in posting here, it's more difficult to recruit.
4. While the Army has many high tech jobs, people don't really think of those when they decide to enter one of the services. The skills and intelligence required to be an AF avionics technician are certainly different than those require to be an infantry man or a tanker or an MP.

Answer 2

Havoc1 is right...I agree with him 100%....

I to went through the process of going from USAF over to the Army and am now an MP.

To get in the Army yes the Army has made it a little easier over the last couple years but that dont mean just anyone can get in. They never changed the physical demands of the Army.

What I mean by this is try running 2 miles in 16 min, 40 push ups, and 60 sit ups. Not to count all the other stuff like throwing on a 60lb ruck sack and being told you will start the morning off by walking 6 miles.

It is easier to get in but you still have to get used to the Army lifestyle and that is where the Army weeds people out.

Answer 3

I presume that you mean in relation to the other services.

Of the services the Army is the biggest, least glamorous, and worst working conditions comparatively.

They need more people and have less to offer, so they can't have as rigid requirements as the other services. The Army brass would love to have standards as high as the Air Force, but if they did they couldn't recruit enough qualified people.

Answer 4

The Army has lowered it's standards 4x's since 02'. You can now have a criminal record, score a 28 on the ASVAB, and miss your weight requirement by some ridiculous #. They are so desperate to get and retain people that they are offering bigger bonuses, college money, loan repayment etc. They have to make those numbers every month to ensure that the body bag company doesn't go out of business.

Answer 5

It's a combination of the Wars going on and a reflection of the USA's population (people are generally in much worse shape now than they used to be)

Answer 6

Think about their competition...most kids now want to go to college after high school, and college grads aren't going to want to make peanuts compared to other career choices. So, in order to meet recruiting goals, they need to lower the standards.

Answer 7

Cause they are a whole bunch of Army Rats. I wanted to go in to the Marines but i tore my ACL. This sucks.... But seriously kids these days are wimps and don't want to fight for reason so the army will go for lower standards to just get them in.

Answer 8

They're the most critically undermanned branch.

Answer 9

Less and less people want to risk their lives, or arms or legs in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Answer 10

Because recruitment is not that easy right now.