Pentagon Says 100% of 2010 Army and Marine Recruits Were H.S. Grads: Air Force and Navy Not So Educated

H.S. Grads Are Flocking to Military

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The Defense Department is crowing:  All 74,577 soldiers recruited into the U.S. Army in fiscal year 2010 have a high school diploma, which is a quality record.  The Marines had 28,041 recruits and they, too, were all grads -- another first.  Those are the two branches of  the military that do most of the fighting -- they have infantry and field artillery.  In the old days, brawn was more important than brains.   Of the Air Force's 28,493 newest members, 99% finished high school.  98% of the Navy's 34,180 sailors held diplomas -- last place.  Clifford Stanley, the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said the down economy helped create a banner year for recruiting -- high unemployment spurred young Americans to sign up and all four services met their quotas.  Stanley said 7 of 10 Americans in the prime age groups for enlistment -- ages 17 to 24 --are ineligible due to medical, educational or conduct (i.e. law enforcement, drug use) issues.  Still, Stanley said patriotism and love of country motivate people to enlist:

"As we look at where we are right now in terms of the challenges facing us, it's more to it than the economy.  To a person -- serving their nation, doing it with honor, being patriots -- seems to be the recurring theme that come up every time we look at and talk to those who are wearing a uniform today.  And we're still proud to have that in our active and our reserve components, and our Guard."