Stricter recruiting standards now could save DoD billions in disability payouts later: study

I agree with a smaller yet stronger force. This will definitely put strains on the recruiting numbers. Stricter entry standards helps with Esprit de Corps as it raises standards and makes all soldiers feel more "elite". This is a huge balancing act, and change is destabilizing if not done properly. I would love to see a system where soldiers are paid based upon MOS and rank. Make it harder to get in, but rewarding for those who make it. The pay for many civilian jobs does not always reflect in their MOS counterpart. This trade equivalency would incentivize SME's from the civilian world to join our forces.

I don't know if they fixed the old standards yet, apparently the doctors at the MEPS station didn't know eyesight standards for SF, so when I got to pre-phase, they grabbed everybody wearing glasses for eye tests, and sent most down the street to the 82d. Which was a good thing for me, I have a congenital bone deformity, I survived my 4 yrs in the eighty-deuce, and 25 yrs in the NG, no way I could have done higher speed than that. If they did an overnight test, would they have not enlisted me for sleep apnea (snoring)? was sleep apnea a term in 1980?

Wow. They spent what on this ‘study?’ It’s a numbers game. In a bad economy, you can be a little more picky. In a good economy (like now), you have to lower standards or increase incentives. Either way, it’s going to cost you $$$.