New Way Forward

Nearly a decade at war in Iraq and Afghanistan has put an unprecedented strain on the United States military, as enlistment has not kept pace with the needs of the armed forces. In response to this rapidly worsening crisis, the Army in recent years has relaxed enlistment standards in a number of areas. In particular, the Army has dramatically increased the number of enlistment waivers it grants for both felons and overweight individuals. While this has increased the number of new service-members enlisted and current service-members retained, it has also reduced the effectiveness and professionalism of the Army on both the individual and organizational level. In the future, the Army can and should sue alternatives methods to meet enlistment requirements so that it is not put in this kind of ethical and strategic dilemma again.

While the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan obviously put a toll on...
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