• yeather@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    2 months ago

    According to the 2020 Pentagon Qualified Military Available Study. 77% of American 17 to 24 are not qualified, of that 77%, 11% are overweight beyond a waiver, 8% cannot due to alcohol or drug abuse, 7% cannot due to mental or physical health, aptitude or conduct was 2%, and multiple reasons was listed at 20% including a combination of the above and factors like prior convictions.

    So low end 48% of 17 to 24 year olds are inelligble. This doesn’t include specific draft exemptions like being in college or working with critical infrastructure which have always been exempt from selective service.

    • Maggoty@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      2 months ago

      The topline of the study is specifically the percentage of 17-24 year olds who can join without a waiver. There is no “beyond a waiver” category in the study. Surely some of them are beyond a waiver, but the study does not make that distinction.

      And it straight up says the reduction of availability is because of an increase in standards, not a decrease in the population’s capacity.