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Basic training does wonders at getting kids into shape.
I didn't hear of anybody getting turned away from the military for being obese, only if they had other health problems. If after basic you still couldn't pass a physical training test, then maybe you would be discharged.
Don't get me wrong, I think kids are way to fat, but it isn't like they are turning away every kid that has a bit of a belly. Hell, the military is good for them, and they will find themselves in the best shape of their life after enlisting.
I would agree if not for a couple of factors. First, weight. I was in the Army and can tell you how many people had issues with the height/weight standards. Now out in the civilian world, I can tell you that at least 25% of the people I see daily are what we called in the Army "fat bodies". Without some weight loss, they would not qualify for enlistment.
Secondly, I live in a school district that graduates only about 73% of the students. That's 27% right there that, unless they obtain a GED, are ineligible for enlistment. This might not be the case in a more affluent area but in my city and a lot of other cities and even rural districts, it's not unheard of to have such a dropout rate. The Census Bureau claims that nationally, only 85% of people over 25 have a high school diploma.
As for crime, I still believe that most kids are basically good and manage to avoid trouble with the law. However, something like 1/3 of kids admit to having experimented with some type of illegal drug. That admission alone makes one ineligible for service.
I won't even get into medical issues. Not too long ago, you may have had 1 or 2 kids in a class with asthma. Nowadays, half the class puffs on an inhaler. Diabetes, hypertension, ect., used to be things that only adults had. Now it's not uncommon at all to hear of kids with these issues.
Of course, the military makes a number of exceptions every year for folks that are otherwise ineligible. Of that 75% that the military claims is unfit for duty, a substantial number will receive waivers for things that I mentioned above.
Of the 25% that are eligible, how many are encouraged to go to college? That speaks to a larger issue: the devaluing of military service in our society. Not too long ago, everyone knew someone in the military. If you were male, you were expected to do some time in the military unless you had a good excuse not to. Now, only 1% serve.
That does not account for 75% of our youth by any stretch of our imagination.
Data, available to the public from the CDC and at least the Army's G1 reports show the number is actually higher than 75%. Yes. All of our youth who are between 18-24 and eligible as a citizen, naturalized citizen or resident alien are included. You can argue with that 75% all day, but there's no organization out there that keeps better data on this that I can find.
Second, many of you posted "the military will get fat people in shape." This is proven time and time again to be untrue and risky. Let's say you bring a guy in at 26% body fat who is 21. Fine. He as to get down too much in too short a time not to get flagged after training when reporting to his first unity. Some do get down, many don't and they are in trouble from day 1 upon reporting to "work." Others go from 26% at 21, down to 20% after training then get booted a year later back up at 28% body fat. I've seen it dozens and dozens of times just post 9-11 (and I retired in 07)
So if 26% body fat is high risk, you're saying the disgusting fat bodies at 28% and higher can somehow get "in shape" over a few months of training. They can't. These guys and gals that are sqeaking in now have bigger problems with injuries and making the fitness test scores needed. Going bigger just excuses failure. That's why the standards are what they are (lower than they should be). That's why 3/4 of the kids couldn't serve if they wanted.
This is about number 10 on a huge list of dire warning signs about our current population, yet people want to argue where the data came from and point out they should let fat slobs in and work them down. Sheesh.
to add, it's not all fat, but most of it is:
•Medical/physical problems, 35 percent (fat kids are here).
•Illegal drug use, 18 percent.
•Mental Category V (the lowest 10 percent of the population), 9 percent.
Then we would be open for an invasion from those nations and peoples who are our enemies. Such people do not respect wimpy wishy washy diplomacy. They respect power and authority.
How true, I have it on good authority the Taliban Navy, as we speak, is having thousands of amphibious assault ships built in Chinese shipyards and that their 3 Division Airborne Corp is winding up training at Russian Bases.
Good thing the Brazilians are behind schedule on that 1500 fighter contract, although I have heard the Iranian AF is transferring all their troop transports.
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