A recruiting station in Times Square, New York. A judge ruled that the military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy was illegal. Photograph: Chris Hondros/Getty ImagesRob Wile, Fusion: 71% of young Americans are ineligible for the military
If you’re a young person looking to join the military to advance your life, the odds of your getting in are now against you.
A new report from Mission: Readiness, an advocacy group of retired service members, says that 71% of 17-24 year-old Americans are ineligible for the military.
There are a variety of reasons why:
* Nearly one in three young adults nationwide weigh more than the military’s accepted standard, which, for a 5’10” 18-year-old male, is 174 pounds
* One in six hasn’t graduated high school
* One in ten has a criminal record that would prevent them from qualifying
The barriers are even higher for people of color, the report says: African-Americans are 18% less likely to graduate from high school on average, 41% more likely to be obese, and 29% more likely to have an arrest record than youth who are white, the report says.
WNU Editor: I thought the number was higher.