Posted on Jul 22, 2015
"American Kids, Too Weak for War, Cost Taxpayers $1.7 Billion A Year "
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(Note: Take a look at the RP infographic on this topic - https://www.rallypoint.com/command-post/why-are-75-of-young-americans-unable-to-serve-in-the-military)
From: PhaseZero Gawker
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Some bracing facts for Monday: Only one-third of America’s youth meet the minimum qualifications to even join the military and once the recruits are enlisted, another one-third of them wash out before they complete their term of enlistment.
That’s just in terms of physical fitness, psychological stability, and mental aptitude. That means that every year, the military has to enlist 248,000 recruits to produce 169,000 successful airmen, soldiers, sailors, and marines.
Since attrition costs the military $1.7 billion a year in lost investment, there are all sorts of programs to improve psychological assessment of those who do qualify to enlist. The hot program these days is TAPAS — the Tailored Adapted Personality Assessment System. Through better psychological profiling, the military hopes to pick off even more of the unsuitable candidates in the beginning. Then through better and more realistic training — what’s called “integrated, persistent Live-Virtual-Constructive (LVC) training environments” and immersion training a la the Star Trek Holodeck, they hope to reduce the unit dropout rate as well.
There’s no crisis in the availablility of young people. Since between 4.1 and 4.5 million kids turn 18 every year and the armed forces only need 250,000 to make their numbers, they have a pretty big pool of people to reject. The trick is picking the right people who will survive basic training and then the military life thereafter.
The Army suffers the largest percentage of attrition (and also demands the most enlistees to replenish the force). But even that number is misleadingly low compared to other branches, as close to 40 percent of Army personnel never deploy to a combat zone. The Marine Corps, though it has a higher deployment rate and the most rigorous overall initial training of the services, suffers the lowest attrition rate. This is a tribute to the espirit and care of the smaller service in both selection and care for its people. Smaller is better when it comes to retention, but that matters less when those darn whippersnappers can’t even do a few pushups.
http://phasezero.gawker.com/american-kids-too-weak-for-war-cost-taxpayers-1-7-bi [login to see]
From: PhaseZero Gawker
--
Some bracing facts for Monday: Only one-third of America’s youth meet the minimum qualifications to even join the military and once the recruits are enlisted, another one-third of them wash out before they complete their term of enlistment.
That’s just in terms of physical fitness, psychological stability, and mental aptitude. That means that every year, the military has to enlist 248,000 recruits to produce 169,000 successful airmen, soldiers, sailors, and marines.
Since attrition costs the military $1.7 billion a year in lost investment, there are all sorts of programs to improve psychological assessment of those who do qualify to enlist. The hot program these days is TAPAS — the Tailored Adapted Personality Assessment System. Through better psychological profiling, the military hopes to pick off even more of the unsuitable candidates in the beginning. Then through better and more realistic training — what’s called “integrated, persistent Live-Virtual-Constructive (LVC) training environments” and immersion training a la the Star Trek Holodeck, they hope to reduce the unit dropout rate as well.
There’s no crisis in the availablility of young people. Since between 4.1 and 4.5 million kids turn 18 every year and the armed forces only need 250,000 to make their numbers, they have a pretty big pool of people to reject. The trick is picking the right people who will survive basic training and then the military life thereafter.
The Army suffers the largest percentage of attrition (and also demands the most enlistees to replenish the force). But even that number is misleadingly low compared to other branches, as close to 40 percent of Army personnel never deploy to a combat zone. The Marine Corps, though it has a higher deployment rate and the most rigorous overall initial training of the services, suffers the lowest attrition rate. This is a tribute to the espirit and care of the smaller service in both selection and care for its people. Smaller is better when it comes to retention, but that matters less when those darn whippersnappers can’t even do a few pushups.
http://phasezero.gawker.com/american-kids-too-weak-for-war-cost-taxpayers-1-7-bi [login to see]
Youth
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Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 13
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We have so many people pointing fingers and gasping at the state of our youth and yet they don't seem to ask themselves any of the following questions,
Is my kid overweight? Am I contributing to that?
Does my kid ever play outside and if so, how do they react when they skin their knee?
Does my kid ever say please or thank you to me or the cashier at the McDonalds when they tell them what they want?
America's youth are YOUR children. We may not have the power to raise every kid to be the perfect adult but we can raise our own to not be weak, ungrateful idiots.
Is my kid overweight? Am I contributing to that?
Does my kid ever play outside and if so, how do they react when they skin their knee?
Does my kid ever say please or thank you to me or the cashier at the McDonalds when they tell them what they want?
America's youth are YOUR children. We may not have the power to raise every kid to be the perfect adult but we can raise our own to not be weak, ungrateful idiots.
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SFC Thomas Skinner
I see Soldiers half assing during PT then complaining that they hurt when they have to do some work, they are raised being praised for minimal performance and participation. As leaders it is our responsibility to take these knuckleheads and instill some honor, integrity, and personal courage into them where their parents and teachers failed them growing up by handing out participation trophies and atta boys for half assed performance during sports or other activities. I believe just about everyone has the potential to be successful in life they just need the right kind of leadership to help them realize their faults and guide them to the path of success. That is the challenge for all of us, find a way to motivate and improve these young folks, I tend to complain about them same as the next guy but these kids are who we are handing the defense and future of our country to!!! We MUST do our very best to prepare them for success, OUR future depends on it.
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SFC(P) (Join to see)
My son does say thank you, yes Ma'am, no Ma'am, yes Sir, no Sir to everyone he encounters I'm very big on RESPECT! Also he basically lives outside and has been cleaning and gutting animals since 3! Loves to hunt n fish and respects guns! He is 7 and runs a 9 minute mile, eats healthy, and loves his family! We are best friends and I as a father couldn't be happier!
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SSG V. Michelle Woods
SFC(P) (Join to see), I don't even know your son but I'm proud of him too! Awesome job Dad! :)
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I don't even want to guess at how much money the Army had spent on me by the time I walked out the door at 9 years. The one thing that they fail to really look at is the impact of leadership on retention. I will flat out tell you that the main reason I left the Army was based on the fact that I did not trust or respect the majority of my leaders. Most were self serving only looking for the next promotion and cared nothing for their troops. The worst part was, they didn't even attempt to mask it. I think this more than any other factor accounts for attrition. At the time I ETSed, probably about half of my unit was doing the same thing. All that knowledge and experience walking out the door because some so called leader decided to put their career before their troops. I am not saying this fits all or most leaders across the services but this is my perspective based on that unit at that time.
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SFC Howard Holmes
I served 36 years total. I enlisted in '79, and military leadership was highly effective. Of course, it was more than 900,000 AD, so there were some dunderheads, but most of all, the officers did care about the troops. The big change in leadership skills, especially in the officer corps occurred around 1988 when the Graham Rudman act took effect and there was a major draw down in numbers, Reduction in Forces (RIF). Instead of going in to the ranks and asking who wants out, then letting them out; then going in and looking over problem children, UCMJ action, civilian legal issues, or just non-performers, they just sent out letters and kicking people out. The officer corps scrambled and they all had to start covering their own butts. They had to create jobs, and create situations that made them "more valuable" to the Army. They were no longer interested in those under their command. As future RIFs occurred, the officers had to fight even harder to prove their value and worth, and none of that came with putting your troops as top priority. Over the decades that I served, 21 years AD, 15 years Guard and Reserve, I could NOT believe how officers were, in my opinion - forced, to focus on themselves and their own careers and not of the well-being of their soldiers. So the officers at TRADOC have softened training, and took away a drill Sgt.'s ability to push soldiers to their full capacity of output. I know this comes across as not pertinent to the topic, however, when leadership is weak at the top, it trickles all the way down in to the NCO corps and to our soldiers in training. Weakness begets weakness, begets weakness. If you can't push the youngsters to capacity, they aren't going to push themselves. I'm certain a good swift boot to the ahrse will get them performing at a higher level. It ends and begins with leadership.
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Well, dodge ball was outlawed, playgrounds were cushioned, and if PE makes your kid sad then it is optional and everyone gets a medal or prize for showing up. So are we really surprised? Or are we just realizing that we are turning kids into pansies with the the helicopter I got to be their friend routine?
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SFC Howard Holmes
PO1 Phillips, you are one wise 1st class petty officer, because you nailed it right on the head. Outstanding call which is 100% on target.
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SMSgt Lawrence McCarter
You are 100% correct, Gym used to be mandatory and We entered Basic Training physically fit to perform. We also learned to play as members of a team with others and didn't need cute little individual trophies just for being there.
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Suspended Profile
The Talmud says, "call them not your children, but your builders."
21 years ago, I was a kid in great shape, mentally and physically, when I became an infantryman. Today, I'm sitting at Fort Lee, watching ordinance, transportation, and quartermaster go through their AIT as I reclass to 88N myself. Marines, Navy, and Army are all here, their earnest young faces looking at the badge bling on guys like us, and I see myself in them.
Whatever is going on the back end, these kids, most of whom are young enough to be *my* kids, are as patriotic and capable as I felt 21 years ago.
The right kids are out there, because I'm seeing a lot of them here. It's hard for recruiters - quality kids may just not see the military as a viable career option right now, perhaps even a little bit scared because of the OPTEMPO of the last decade. Whatever. I can't lose hope, and I won't lose hope.
21 years ago, I was a kid in great shape, mentally and physically, when I became an infantryman. Today, I'm sitting at Fort Lee, watching ordinance, transportation, and quartermaster go through their AIT as I reclass to 88N myself. Marines, Navy, and Army are all here, their earnest young faces looking at the badge bling on guys like us, and I see myself in them.
Whatever is going on the back end, these kids, most of whom are young enough to be *my* kids, are as patriotic and capable as I felt 21 years ago.
The right kids are out there, because I'm seeing a lot of them here. It's hard for recruiters - quality kids may just not see the military as a viable career option right now, perhaps even a little bit scared because of the OPTEMPO of the last decade. Whatever. I can't lose hope, and I won't lose hope.
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Part of the problem is parents who don't act like parents or don't really want to be parents; cutting PT out of schools; giving participation awards to kids who don't even try or play then they think they are entitled to something for nothing! That helps no one I don't let my son win I teach him how to win and how to overcome defeat and try again!
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SMSgt Lawrence McCarter
I can remember even in our yard acting as a catcher for My son who was a pitcher. Coaching Baseball for My son, softball for My daughter. Teaching them to ice skate and bring them to ponds or skating rinks and skating with them. My third offspring, a boy was into soccer and i helped Him with that. We even put up a basketball area in our driveway and the all used it. All three enjoyed their sports participation. I also enjoyed taking the kids to games for the Boston Red Sox esp as I got tickets from Red Sox players I knew. On vacations We ALWAYS took the kids with us, often to the ocean and I'd go in with them swimming, going on water slides which We al l enjoyed. I know I loved doing that with My parents and My kids loved it with us also. They did the same now with their own children although now their kids (My Grandchildren) range from age 20 down to 17.but had that same experience.
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If we have a problem with our touth. We all need 5o look in the mirror. I falls on our shoulders.
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Sad to Hear but here in Kansas depending on which Statistics you believe 1/3 to 2/3 of the Kids are too Fat to Serve. The Generals made an impassioned plea for our Local Republican Controlled Government not to gut the new nutrition standards which would further compound the problem.
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The Marine Corps has the lowest attrition because they captivate recruits by providing a focused and challenging training experience. The Army initial training experience is so watered down it's not even challenging. Then add the distraction of Basic being coed. Any Drill Sergeant will tell you that Basic Training outside of the Infantry now is just like high school, and Soldiers fail the Soldierization process because they treat it like high school. We as a branch have a scary future ahead of us. It's sad when I have privates of both genders come to me at the end of every cycle and say they expected basic training to be way different and far more difficult.
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These are all societal caused issues. In other words, society says it is bad to discipline your child you should talk to them. What happens, children push boundaries and subconsciously they see that no real repercussions happen due to lack of respect and obedience so they continue the behavior and parents say, "I just don't understand why Johnny is this or that. Society says everyone deserves to be rewarded and then from K-12 kids get participation awards and when that does not carry into the real world they become sullen and pout and then refuse to put in real effort because they feel they should get awards for cleaning the latrine. This list goes on and on. Long story short, the issue is the belief that everyone should be allowed to do whatever they want and suffer no consequences.
As a society we need to be sure to make it okay to fail. By that I mean instead of giving everyone trophies for showing up to a game we should as parents and a society say to children from the start. You are not good at baseball or football find something else. I am not suggesting we not let kids play just stop rewarding them for striking out or fumbling. This is just one example. We also need to stop feeding kids the BS that in order to be successful you need to go to college. Not everyone is able to do that, nor should everyone do that. Billions of dollars each year are wasted on colleges. There are millions of jobs out there that require no college and can lead to a great career and good pay.
As a society we need to be sure to make it okay to fail. By that I mean instead of giving everyone trophies for showing up to a game we should as parents and a society say to children from the start. You are not good at baseball or football find something else. I am not suggesting we not let kids play just stop rewarding them for striking out or fumbling. This is just one example. We also need to stop feeding kids the BS that in order to be successful you need to go to college. Not everyone is able to do that, nor should everyone do that. Billions of dollars each year are wasted on colleges. There are millions of jobs out there that require no college and can lead to a great career and good pay.
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the original school lunch program was funded by the war dept after WWII because so many draftees were medically unsuitable for the service because of malnutrition as youngsters in the great depression.
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