this post was submitted on 27 Jan 2024
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WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Navy is starting to enlist individuals who didn't graduate from high school or get a GED, marking the second time in about a year that the service has opened the door to lower-performing recruits as it struggles to meet enlistment goals.

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[–] bedrooms@kbin.social 81 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Fucking pay them better instead

[–] robocall@lemmy.world 70 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Also, don't start unnecessary wars based on lies.

[–] holycrap@lemm.ee 32 points 9 months ago

Maybe stop supporting genocide or sumfin

[–] GiddyGap@lemm.ee 1 points 9 months ago

That wouldn't provide enough cannon fodder.

[–] taanegl@lemmy.world 77 points 9 months ago

IN THE NAVY~!

You can sail the seven seas~

IN THE NAVY~!

You don't need a G.E.D.~

[–] Neato@ttrpg.network 69 points 9 months ago (1 children)

It's because low level enlisted is paid like shit.

And now they are recruiting from those w/o HS or GED. The people already struggling to find employement.

Poverty recruitment! Yay...

[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 38 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Pay wasn't my son's concern. His concern in 2016 was that Trump would be his commander in chief.

[–] Seleni@lemmy.world 22 points 9 months ago

My cousin left the navy for that exact reason. Of course, she actually had to work with Trump, so I imagine that didn’t help.

[–] tsonfeir@lemm.ee 42 points 9 months ago

Gosh, maybe no one wants to support the military industrial complex, since we aren’t getting the American dream anymore.

[–] voxelastronaut@lemmy.world 22 points 9 months ago

Their recruitment ads are getting laughably desperate, too--all crazy CGI and sci-fi fantasies aimed at gullible COD nerds. They almost got me (poor kid straight out of high school, I was vulnerable) and haven't stopped chasing me ever since. It's been like 8 years and I still get recruitment material targeted at me, somehow--one of them even texted me like a year or two ago.

Maybe if they paid better, took better care of veterans, and weren't part of a bloodthirsty genocide machine slaughtering innocent people, they wouldn't be having so much trouble.

[–] ours@lemmy.world 22 points 9 months ago

I guess it's going to take more than a Top Gun sequel.

[–] trackcharlie@lemmynsfw.com 17 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

You want a high number of quality employees? Stop reducing the standards and start increasing pay.

Full fucking stop.

[–] robocall@lemmy.world 17 points 9 months ago

Also, stop making Americans kill innocent civilians in poor countries.

[–] Pyr_Pressure@lemmy.ca 8 points 9 months ago

People are a lot more likely to sign up if there's no risk of actual fighting happening. With Ukraine/Russia and Israel/Palestine and potentially China/Taiwan soon I'm not surprised people are reluctant to join.

[–] stufkes@lemmy.world 17 points 9 months ago (2 children)

This seems the right place to post this lecture on "Macnamaras morons". Young men with intellectual disabilities that were drafted to fight in Vietnam. Absolutely disgusting policy and heartbreaking for the families and the drafted men.

https://youtu.be/_J2VwFDV4-g?si=qTtvTDDUgBIgFmVy

[–] Everythingispenguins@lemmy.world 4 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Plus a disaster for the army. It reduced its effective force because most of the men drafted with disabilities required a full time buddy to navigate most simple tasks. Literally it failed in every way possible.

[–] stufkes@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

Yes, this is covered in the talk as well. In one example, an officer is killed by a macnamara man because he couldn't tell him apart from the enemy, and another where a soldier couldn't grasp the concept of throwing a grenade in a parabola over an obstacle rather than straight ahead.

[–] Sagifurius@lemm.ee -5 points 9 months ago

Sure, but a grade 12 or not is more situational than anything indicating intelligence. Yeah it's mostly ubiquitous now, but that doesn't change it's no real indication.

[–] bradorsomething@ttrpg.network 15 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Joining the military seems much less attractive for people when your country have been fighting in foreign countries for 16 of the last 18 years of your life… who knew?

[–] CheeseNoodle@lemmy.world 13 points 9 months ago

And if the country in question didn't openly shit on veterans (From a government policy standpoint not the actual populace).

[–] Ross_audio@lemmy.world 13 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Have they tried subliminal, liminal, and superluminal recruitment?

[–] Custoslibera@lemmy.world 9 points 9 months ago

Yvan eht nioj

[–] 5ibelius9insterberg@feddit.de 13 points 9 months ago

Yvan eht Nioj!!

[–] sylver_dragon@lemmy.world 11 points 9 months ago

Standards Aweigh, my boys, Standards Aweigh!

[–] Rakonat@lemmy.world 7 points 9 months ago

Surely this will not cause reliability and readiness issues over the next decade.

[–] Tristaniopsis@aussie.zone 5 points 9 months ago (2 children)
[–] dylanTheDeveloper@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago

Finger the semen!

[–] Olhonestjim@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago

Oh for sure, that what the Navy needed when I was in. More shitbags.

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world -4 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Yes, the pay is shit, but the benefits are stunning. And it's not like you have to pay for the things a civilian does. Tons of free shit. Start at 18, hang in 20-years, and you're fucking set at 38 years old.

Imagine that. 38-yo, pulling retirement for life, and right at your prime. Best friend in high school joined the Army. Did however many years (single digit), spent the rest in the Guard. Basically fucked off at 39, started consulting for the DoD and fixes/collects classic cars for kicks. He mainly works to finance his hobbies and to stave off boredom. We're 53 this year.

My wife is Filipina, all those girls married military guys. There's a total of 2 of us in the whole gang that never served. Those guys are long retired and riding high.