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Army to Recruit High School Dropouts

By Jeralyn, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Tue Sep 20, 2005 at 07:27:13 PM EST
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Facing ever-increasing recruiting problems, and a death toll of U.S. soldiers of more than 1,900, the Army announced a big change today. It will now accept high-school dropouts who don't have GEDs:

Army recruiters now have a wider pool to find future soldiers in. The Army is reaching out to a slice of America’s youth long ineligible to serve: non-high school graduates who don’t have a General Equivalency Diploma. Recruiters can now go after that demographic through the “Army Educations Plus” option, the Army announced Tuesday.

The Army will pay for the cost of the GED. Of course, at the heart of the matter is the recruiters' failure to meet its goals:

....senior Army leadership has acknowledged that the active duty Army, Reserve and Guard will each miss their respective annual goals for fiscal 2005, which ends this month.

Once more, the military targets the poor and underprivileged. One of my clients just got his G.E.D. in the county jail while awaiting trial. At least he'll be alive to use it when he gets out.

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    • Army to Recruit High School Dropouts | 1 comment (1 topical)
    Re: Army to Recruit High School Dropouts (none / 0) (#1)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:07 PM EST
    They are also recruiting outside of the US. On Farthest US Shores, James Brooke explains in his NYT article Iraq Is a Way to a Dream
     "You can't beat recruiting here in the Marianas, in Micronesia," said First Sgt. Olympio Magofna, who grew up on Saipan and oversees Pacific recruiting for the Army from his base in Guam. "In the states, they are really hurting," he said. "But over here, I can afford go play golf every other day."   Here, where "America starts its day," the Army recruiting station in Guam has 4 of the Army's top 12 "producers." While small in real terms, enlistments from Guam, Saipan, and American Samoa are the nation's highest per capita. Saipan, with a population of about 60,000 American citizens and green card holders, has 245 soldiers in Iraq.  [American Samoa, population of 67,000, has lost six soldiers in Iraq, most recently Staff Sgt. Frank F. Tiai of Pago Pago on July 17. Guam has lost three. Saipan has lost one.]      "I see yellow ribbons everywhere," Staff Sgt. Levi Suiaunoa said by telephone from the Army recruiting station in Pago Pago, capital of the territory. " 'Come home safely' signs almost litter the streets."   Despite the casualties, poverty and patriotism fuel enlistments.
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    Army to Recruit High School Dropouts | 1 comment (1 topical)