One for the Parents

The Department of Defense announced it is altering (read that as lowering) the entry standards for military service in light of the current recruiting disaster. If you haven’t heard, pretty much every service missed their 2022 recruiting goals and even the ones that made it are starting way behind for 2023. The solution by the Secretary of Defense was to approve altered (lowered) standards for initial entry.

Changing standards is not all that uncommon. During the surge in Iraq in 2006-2007, the military allowed a higher number of non-high school graduates to enter than under normal circumstances. They allowed those with neck and hand tattoos that would previously been disqualified to enter. They offered huge bonuses. They did a lot to meet the HIGHER demand. This is not about meeting a higher demand. This is about meeting the bare minimum.

The standards that are being lowered are the minimum score on the ASVAB and the minimum fitness requirement. We can talk about the score on the ASVAB all day, but that is a discussion about our education system and I’m not getting into that. The minimum fitness requirement is where I am at.

Understand that you don’t have to be IN Army shape when you get there, but you have to be in shape enough to be in Army shape by the time you GRADUATE. That gives the Army plenty of time to get you to the minimum standard. For those of us that have been there, that isn’t all that difficult…let’s be honest.

The Army has decided that you have up to NINETY DAYS at the initial reception station to get in good enough shape to START basic training. To start it. 90 days. That’s how shitty this generation’s level of physical fitness is and how desperate the Army is for people. They are going to hold you, let you do nothing but eat better and work out for up to 90 days, while you’re getting PAID, so you can get into good enough shape to START basic training.

Let me tell you something, and I expect a lot of pushback on this and I don’t really care, if your kid has such a lack of physical fitness they can’t qualify to start basic training…that is on YOU as a parent. If you allow your kid to watch TV, eat shitty food, play video games, and generally live on their phone all the time while not spending time outside, playing sports, and being active…that’s what you get; a fat kid.

You have to set the example. YOU do. You don’t have to be an athlete. You don’t have to be actively playing sports like I do (and have always done), but you have to be ACTIVE. Be outside. Take a walk. Coach your kid. Shoot around in the driveway. Throw the ball. Go hunting. Go fishing. Go hiking. Take your kid with you when you do. Or don’t, but they will SEE you doing it and they will follow your example.

My parents worked their asses off. Long days. My dad did physical work every single day. Came home dirty. Still coached. Still went to games. Still took me hunting and shooting. Still was active. Mom worked all kinds of jobs including owning her own business. That woman never slowed down for a minute. She is 5’0” and you couldn’t keep up with her if you tried. They set the example. They were active. They were involved.

If you want to blame phones and video games and COVID and whatever else, go ahead. Are they contributing factors to all of this? Sure they are. It is still on you as a parent. YOU need to put your phone down. YOU need to go outside. And I’m not talking about the once a year vacation either. I’m talking consistently. BE ACTIVE. By the way…your health will improve, too. Just sayin.

I’m not trying to be overdramatic, but this is a national crisis that has become a national security crisis. Yeah, you read that right. The youth of our nation is in such poor physical shape that it is starting to seriously impact our ability to defend ourselves. No shit. Real talk.

Blame the economy, technology, whatever you want, but this one?

This is one for the Parents.

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