By the Numbers: 11 January 2021

By the Numbers: 11 January 2021

71%

The percentage of "young Americans between the ages of 17 and 24" who are "currently ineligible for military service, primarily because they are too poorly educated, too overweight, or have a history of crime or substance abuse," according to a letter sent in mid-December to Acting Defense Secretary Christopher C. Miller from Mission: Readiness, " a nonpartisan organization of nearly 800 retired admirals and generals."
 
To "create a long-term strategy to address the biggest disqualifiers for military service and ensure that more young Americans are able to join the military," the organization asks that Miller
 
"...immediately stand up an advisory committee on military recruitment in conjunction with the Departments of Agriculture, Education, Health and Human Services, and Justice, as recommended by the Senate Armed Services Committee."