Pentagon chief may ease enlistment standards

2015-03-30T11:34:04-04:00

From: Army Times

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Ash Carter is considering easing some military enlistment standards as part of a broader set of initiatives to better attract and keep quality service members and civilians across the Defense Department.

While there are few details yet, Carter is exploring whether to adjust some of the requirements for certain military jobs, such as those involving cyber or high-tech expertise.

The idea, which is largely in line with many civilian sectors, upends the military's more rigid mindset that puts a high value on standards. And it reignites a persistent debate about how the services approve waivers for recruits who have committed lesser crimes, behaved badly, are older than current regulations allow or have other physical issues that prevent them from joining the military.

According to Pentagon documents and officials, the secretary sees recruitment and retention as major challenges to a military coming out of two wars and facing turmoil around the world.

Specifically, the Pentagon pointed to cyber jobs as an area where standards — such as age or minor drug offenses — could be relaxed. Military leaders have long complained that it is difficult to attract and keep cyber professionals in the services because they can make far more money in private industry.

This is not the first time, however, that the services looked to reduced restrictions as a way to entice more recruits.

During 2006-2007, the military steadily increased the number of bad behavior waivers as the services — particularly the Army and Marine Corps — struggled to meet deployment demands in Iraq and Afghanistan. The services let in more recruits with criminal records, including some with felony convictions, in order to meet recruiting quotas.

And in some cases, the services relaxed age restrictions, allowing older people to enlist or rejoin the military.

But as the wars dragged on and suicides, sexual assaults and other bad behavior by service members spiked, military leaders began to question whether there was a link to the decline in enlistment standards during the wartime peak.

Carter also is considering other changes to help ensure that the military attracts the best and brightest, including programs to pay off student debt, improvements to the retirement, promotion and evaluation systems and doing more to allow sabbaticals for service members.

There has been much discussion lately about allowing service members to participate in 401k-type programs because as much as 80 percent of the people who enlist don't stay in long enough to earn retirement benefits.

Carter is expected to begin discussing his plans to build a better 21st century force during stops Monday and Tuesday in Pennsylvania and New York.

He will first visit his high school — Abington Senior High — outside of Philadelphia, where he will talk to students about military and public service. Carter will then travel to Fort Drum, New York, home of the Army's storied 10th Mountain Division, where he will meet with troops.

Brigades from the 10th Mountain Division served as anchor units in eastern Afghanistan for much of the war, particularly during the early years when the U.S. had only a smaller force there. For many years they rotated with brigades from the 82nd Airborne.

And on Tuesday, he will visit Syracuse University's Institute for Veterans and Military Families.

The Defense Department has launched a partnership with the institute and the Schultz Family Foundation for a program called Onward to Opportunity, which will provide industry-specific training and job placement assistance for service members and their spouses as the troops leave the military.

http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/careers/enlisted/2015/03/30/pentagon-chief-may-ease-enlistment-standards/70658696/

Response by SGT Ben Keen made Mar 30 at 2015 12:16 PM

2015-03-30T12:16:00-04:00

And I'm sure once the numbers are reached you're going to see the DoA revisit some of the new policies such as tattoos and stuff.

Response by SGT Jeremiah B. made Mar 30 at 2015 5:23 PM

2015-03-30T17:23:01-04:00

As I said on Facebook, it's a hard situation. We need these kinds of people, but they won't meet certain standards. They'd probably be more easily integrated into a civilian agency, but then DoD wouldn't control of the asset.

Would it be possible/Feasible to create a new section within the civilian DoD that could handle this or is it necessary to have these individuals subject to the same obligations, duties and justice system that service members are?

Response by Cpl Jeff N. made Mar 30 at 2015 5:30 PM

2015-03-30T17:30:33-04:00

Only the federal government could expect to lower standards and get better people. If cyber geeks cannot make the cut move them to GS roles and be done with it. Don't fill up the ranks with people that will be competeing for rank but not have the same standards.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 1 at 2015 4:50 AM

2015-04-01T04:50:27-04:00

My wife just sent me an article about this.

I am a 74D, and I am very good at my job. However, my passion lay in the IT world, and I have tried to reclass to 35Q and 25D, however the availability of slots/standards got in the way (respectively). I think I would be great in either of those MOSs, and if they eased the standard a little, they would have more people in those roles. However, the standards exist for a reason.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 4 at 2015 10:53 AM

2015-04-04T10:53:33-04:00

I just commented on this on facebook as well. I think that this is a horrible idea. It seems to me they want to take certian jobs and give them to civilians; but call them service members. Give them all the benifits, the rank, the retirment, the medical and the uniform. Then tell them they don't have to meet the same standard as the rest. If they need people to do these jobs that can't meet the standard then make a civilian slot out of it and hire them for that. Keep the civilian and Service member seperate. These are the kind of jobs that don't require a Service member to do it anyway. they are not on the front lines kicking in doors and doing convoys. They are sitting in a room at some NSA building looking at zeros and ones on the network.