Shocking statistics from a new Department of Defense report reflect military leaders' fear that the next generation of America's armed forces may not be fit to defend this country.
The report reveals that 75 percent of U.S. citizens ages 17 to 24 are unable to enlist in the military because they fail to graduate high school, have a criminal record or are physically unfit.
The news in Indiana is even worse. While the 75 percent figure would mean more than 500,000 Hoosiers are ineligible to defend their country, that estimate could be low, the report states.
Adults on probation, in prison or on parole number 1 in 31 nationally, and 1 in 26 for Indiana.
In a Washington, D.C., news conference Thursday afternoon, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and retired top military brass unveiled a plan to reverse the trend that they termed, "a threat to America's national security."
Mission: Readiness, a new organization comprised of nearly 90 retired military leaders, compiled the report. It is pushing for Congress to consider the Early Learning Challenge Fund, which would provide grants of $1 billion a year up to 10 years to states to improve early childhood development programs and make them available to more at-risk youths. The U.S. House passed a bill in September that includes the fund; it awaits consideration by the Senate.
In 2030 national security will depend on what happens in prekindergarten today, officials said.
"We're doing a great job at recruiting this year because of the economy ..." retired Rear Adm. James Barnett said. "When the economy improves, we're not sure what will happen."
Justin Ortiz, 19, a Portage High School graduate training with a group of fellow enlistees at the U.S. Army Recruiting Center in Valparaiso, said the numbers were "not surprising.
"There should be high standards," Ortiz said.
Sgt. 1st Class Charles Fester, commander of the recruiting center, said his office doesn't keep statistics on the number of potential enlistees who are turned away, but he said the number is not anywhere near 75 percent.
"We've got good schools in Porter County, so we're not seeing that," Fester said.
"I had a math teacher my senior year who told me the first day that over 50 percent of the kids won't be in this class by the end of the year, and he was right," Ryan Blozis, 21, of Michigan City, said.
Dan Smith, 20, of Valparaiso, a graduate of Chesterton High School who attends Ivy Tech, said he'd heard the statistics and wasn't surprised either.
"I've known a lot of people who get into trouble," he said.
A recruiter with the Highland Army Recruiting Office, who declined to give his name, said the numbers sounded "pretty accurate."
"I'd be afraid to put a percentage on it, but it's roughly in that neighborhood.
"On average it seems to be the same problems most kids are facing," the recruiter said. "We have to give them direction to assist them so they can help themselves."
Even those with diplomas sometimes don't pass the Army entrance test, which is geared to subjects at levels that a high school graduate should know, he said.
Richard Ligon, a former federal law enforcement official and Army colonel, and current ROTC commander in the Gary Schools, said the military raised the minimum admission test score from 31 to 51.
"There are a lot of people who want to get in the military now," Ligon said. "I can understand people who have dropped out or with criminal records not getting in.
"I'm not going to disagree with the report because they have the stats. It's probably pretty accurate."
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