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Thursday, November 5, 2009

Obesity, poor education big obstacles to military recruiting - washingtonpost.com


Obesity, poor education big obstacles to military recruiting - washingtonpost.com:

"It's tough enough selling military service to teenagers who might not be so keen on getting their heads shaved or buy the whole 'we do more by 9 a.m.' line. And the fact that enlisting today could very well mean a visit to the front lines doesn't help, either.

But according to a new report, there are other factors that make recruiters' jobs even more difficult: the country's poor education system and the worsening obesity crisis.

About 75 percent of the country's 17- to 24-year-olds are ineligible for military service, largely because they are poorly educated, overweight and have physical ailments that make them unfit for the armed forces, according to a report to be issued Thursday."