Fewer U.S. Soldiers Have H.S. Diplomas

Report: Demand Creates Concern Over Declining Number Of "High-Quality" Recruits

(AP)  The percent of Army recruits with a high school diploma dropped last year, continuing a trend that has worsened since the start of the Iraq war, according to a report released Tuesday.

National Priorities Project, a research group that analyzes federal data, found that nearly 71 percent of Army recruits graduated from high school in the 2007 budget year. It based its findings on data it obtained from the Defense Department through a Freedom of Information Act request.

All troops must have a high school diploma or an equivalent degree. The military prefers that they have a high school diploma because its studies have shown they are more likely to finish an enlistment term. Still, the Army has paid for some recruits to take GED preparation classes and take the test.

The Army's goal is 90 percent high school graduates, which it hasn't met since 2004. Each year since, the number of recruits with at least a high school diploma has steadily declined.

Douglas Smith, spokesman for the Army Recruiting Command at Fort Knox, Ky., acknowledged it has been a difficult recruiting environment. He said overall high school graduation rates are declining, which could be a factor.

Strained, in part, by military operations in Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the military has had to increase the number of waivers and raise enlistment bonuses to fill its ranks.

"Every soldier that we put in the Army is qualified," Smith said. "We don't put unqualified people in the Army, but it's something we're watching."

The National Priorities Project said the percent of "high-quality" recruits - those with a high school diploma who scored in the top half on the military's qualification test - declined from budget years 2004 to 2007. In that period, the number of high-quality recruits fell from about 61 percent to nearly 45 percent, the group said.

It also found that in the 2007 budget year, upper middle- and high-income neighborhoods were underrepresented by an even larger margin than three years earlier.

The Army has been under growing pressure to strengthen recruiting as part of an ongoing effort to increase its size.

Plans are to raise the number of active-duty Army, Army Guard and Army Reserve by 74,000 overall, with the active-duty force rising by 65,000 to a total of 547,000. In October, top Army leaders said they planned to move faster to expand the force by adding the full 74,000 soldiers by 2010, two years earlier than originally planned.

In September, Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters he'd like the see the percent of recruits with a high school diploma increase. He said he was reluctant to accelerate an expansion of the force that would lead to a lowering of recruitment standards.

Paul Boyce, an Army spokesman, said recruitment has been strong in the first four months of this budget year.

[runningralph]

Keithle,
My experience is that parents can''t make teenagers do anything, or stop them from doing anything. Parents can talk ''til they drop, threaten, ground, whatever. And if you strike a teenage boy he will strike back. Girls will sneak out and lie. I''m not talking about welfare moms. I''ve seen it with hardworking taxpayers'' kids. A fairly high percentage are uncontrollable.
gunnerv1,
Public schools are free to the student. If you are involved is some type of taxpayer revolt, don''t make public schools the target. Public schools are the only way to educate the majority of kids.

[gunnerv1]

Klingon69 Where do you get that it was free. We''er paying out the wazoo taxes for your "free" education. The tax wars are a coming.

[keithle1]

Why do parents let their son/daughter drop out of high school? Makes no sense. That shouldn''t even be an option. Without a high school diploma, you might as well move to the park & live with the homeless people. If you''re a girl, you might as well find a street corner downtown & start twirling your "Hello Kitty" purse.

[mbievtea]

Many young men that entered the military during WWII and other conflicts didn''t have high school educations either. But the military made them better men and eventually better citizens. The military has nothing to be ashamed of. The military is a great place to learn responsibility and maturity. If these young men feel this is an opportunity for them, give them a chance.

[runningralph]

SgtRDS,
You sound like a good ole boy. But I still contend a teenager is better off staying in school. The average high school senior is 17 to 18 years old. At that age you couldn''t have been in the Air Force more than 2 years. Probably E-4. Low rank, low pay. The only way to get an apartment would be with some other good ole boys. But that doesn''t mean it wasn''t fun. I''m sure it was. While you were starting the 3rd year in the Air Force your old high school buddies were starting the 1st year at college. They had fun, too. When they finished college they went in the Air Force officer corps. Higher rank, higher pay. It''s all about what you want out of life. I''m sure you have some great war stories.

[sgtrds]

Some will be those kicked out because keeping them would reflect poorly on the "no child left behind" system, and would mean a loss of revenue for the school.

Posted by Klingon69 at 01:45 PM : Jan 23, 2008

I dropped out after 10th grade because I was bored out of my mind. The Air Force was much more of a challenge. While my high school friends were wondering if they could borrow their dad''s car to go to the Junior Prom I was working with computers at a SAC nuclear weapons base and had my own apartment. Loved it.

[klingon69]

I have never why any American teenager would not want to at least finish high school. The classes are not that difficult. The books are free, the bus rides are free, even free lunch if the situation calls for it. Everything is free. Why not go for it? Maybe some kids feel a high school diploma is bad for some reason?
Posted by runningralph at 10:54 AM : Jan 22, 2008
Some will be those kicked out because keeping them would reflect poorly on the "no child left behind" system, and would mean a loss of revenue for the school.

[keithle1]

If you had anything better going on, you would be doing it. You wouldn''t join the Armed Services. Unless you want to make it a career & not just get money for college.

[b-easy63]

High School Diplomas ? what a useless paper,the army is better off ,with street smart personal,.Everyone can get a education depends on the desire.Most in the army are trying to better there life.

Posted by beehive21 at 08:32 AM : Jan 22, 2008


Another Bush reject posting? Allow me to help you in furthering your better life:

CORRECTIONS:

High School Diplomas ? What a useless paper,the army is better off ,with street smart PERSONNEL,. ANYONE can get a education---IT depends on the desire. Most in the army are trying to better THEIR life.

GOT LEFT BEHIND ALSO? LOL. Bush has room for you in the friendly firing squads. lol

Posted by beehive21 at 08:32 AM : Jan 22, 2008

[b-easy63]

"The percent of Army recruits with a high school diploma dropped last year, continuing a trend that has worsened since the start of the Iraq war, according to a report released Tuesday."

So Kerry was right after all, the stupid, the gullible , the desperate and those who fail to achieve in school get to be cannon fodder for Bush''s wars. LOL