Even if you’ve spent a year or more behind bars in the past, you can still put on camouflage and a helmet and become an American soldier.
According to the Defense Department, since 2003, the amount of troop members with criminal backgrounds in the Army has increased 65 percent — from 4,918 recruits to 8,129 recruits, as reported in a Feb. 14 New York Times article.
The Army is forced to bend its standards because of a diminishing pool of recruits. As reported by the Times, only 30 percent of people between 17 and 24 are eligible recruits. The remaining 70 percent lack a high school diploma, have insufficient aptitude test scores, aren’t physically able or are gay.
As the war in Iraq wages on — and if President Bush’s proposed troop increase goes through — the military has more and more pressure to put feet in army boots.
Bush should have considered this before calling for more soldiers, because with the current situation, leaders have no choice but to lower their recruitment standards.
But in trying to expand the amount of available soldiers, the Army should recruit openly gay individuals before going after people with criminal records. The way people choose to love has no bearing on the way they choose to fight.
And our troops are supposed to represent our country. Permitting robbers and assaulters into what should be an esteemed armed forces sets a destructive precedent.
Soldiers already have histories of developing violent tendencies. For example, consider the recent court martial of marine Lance Cpl. Robert B. Pennington, who is accused, along with seven other servicemen, of kidnapping and murdering an Iraqi civilian, according to a Feb. 13 Associated Press article.
People with vicious acts in their past would be at an increased risk for misconduct. As reported by the Times, “serious lapses in discipline and judgment” often occur in criminals. Putting law breakers into the Army also puts other soldiers at risk.
If the Army is forced to offer “moral exemptions” and allows criminals to serve, it must establish a stringent monitoring system for these recruits. Being put into a regimented system can turn people around, but only if they have the right guidance.
The military can’t be completely faulted for doing what it can to enhance recruitment. Ultimately, the goal is to send all U.S. troops home, but until this can happen, the Army has to provide the amount of soldiers the government demands.