U.S. army drops requirement for high school diploma (2022)
Faced with chronic recruiting shortfalls, the U.S. Army briefly dropped its high school diploma requirement in 2022 (a move since reversed), and the Navy has similarly relaxed standards, prompting debate over what educational credentials actually signal in modern military service. Commenters weigh the trade-offs between widening the pool with aptitude testing versus repeating past failures like Vietnam-era Project 100,000, and probe deeper causes of waning enlistment: unpopular wars, mistrust of U.S. foreign policy, stagnant or misaligned pay and benefits, weaker pension guarantees, and a perception that the military exploits the poor and undereducated. The conversation broadens to whether a large standing force is still necessary in an era of drones and precision weapons, the ethics of using service as a de facto jobs or immigration program, and whether rebuilding public trust and adherence to rule of law would do more for recruitment than lowering entry bars.
Policy change context
- Many note the article is from 2022 and the Army restored the diploma requirement within a week; discussion shifts to the Navy’s more recent similar move.
- Some see the headline as overblown; aptitude tests and minimum IQ thresholds still apply, so standards are not entirely dropped.
High school diploma vs aptitude
- Several argue a diploma is a poor proxy for intelligence or capability; GEDs, alternative schooling, or dropping out for non-academic reasons complicate the signal.
- Others contend that completing high school generally reflects years of accumulated baseline knowledge, commitment, and “being able to function,” and that non-graduates are, on average, less prepared.
- Multiple anecdotes describe high-performing dropouts who later excelled in technical or professional roles, challenging blanket assumptions.
- There is support for using validated aptitude/IQ testing over diplomas, but concern about the military administering and potentially bending standards.
Historical parallels and IQ thresholds
- Project 100,000 (“McNamara’s Morons”) is frequently cited: lowering cognitive standards in Vietnam raised casualties and training costs.
- Commenters highlight research that soldiers below ~80–85 IQ performed poorly and died at much higher rates, suggesting hard cognitive floors remain necessary.
Recruiting crisis: causes and incentives
- Explanations offered: declining public support after “forever wars,” skepticism about U.S. interventions, better civilian options, obesity/fitness issues, and loss of the old 20‑year pension deal.
- Some stress pay and benefits are relatively strong for young enlisted and officers; others say base pay for lower ranks is still too low and should rise.
- Retention problems (food, pay, treatment, vaccine disputes) are mentioned as under-addressed compared to recruitment.
Race and demographic shifts
- Linked data show white enlistment share has dropped while Black and Hispanic percentages rose, mainly because white recruiting fell; commenters warn that focusing on proportions without totals can mislead.
Ethics, legitimacy, and willingness to serve
- A major theme is moral distrust: Iraq/Afghanistan, perceived imperialism, treatment of veterans, and current foreign policy (e.g., Israel, Ukraine) make some unwilling to serve.
- Others counter that a strong military is still necessary for deterrence, alliances, and defense against “bad actors,” and that fewer volunteers could mean future drafts.