As the military shrinks, recruiters get picky

The U.S. Army Forces are back on par with pre-2001 levels after shedding more than 48,000 troops since 2010. The Army and Marines plan to cut an additional 100,000 troops by 2017.

Recruiters are on notice. During the peak of the Iraq War, many soldiers who otherwise would not meet the standard were let in through waivers. Histories of misconduct, old injuries, and weight and aptitude requirements were waved aside as recruiters sought to fill the rolls during the surge.

Staff Sgt. Anthony Eichler, who oversees three Marines recruiters in State College, Altoona and Dubois, said his team conducts up to 100 interviews a month. Out of that number, they typically enlist five or fewer.

“There’s not a lot of spots for young men and women to come in, so we’re looking for the best,” he said. “We’re trying to find the most intelligent, most moral and ethical people out there.”

The Pentagon estimates that 75 percent of 17- to 24-year-olds are not eligible to serve in the military. Tattoos are a new sticking point, as is too much debt, as are old injuries and criminal records.

“We don’t fix people with injuries and we don’t rehabilitate people with the law,” [one recruiter] said. “We’re going to take people who are qualified to be a soldier … I’m proud of the fact that people aren’t qualified for the Army.

The military thus becomes more of a professional unit as it becomes more and more of a company. The Navy even hires Fortune 500 companies to teach sales to its recruiters now. Recruiters no longer have the stretch to bring in recruits, but it remains to be seen whether a less representative military is best for role in American society long-term.