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Marine Corps Commandant Reveals Alarming Percentage Of Youth Unfit For Military

   DailyWire.com

If America had to enter another World War tomorrow, the military would have to put many of America’s draft-eligible young people on diet and fitness programs, along with some serious psyche evaluations, long before boot camp training could commence. According to a Marine Corps commandant, a full 70% of American youths are just simply too fat, too immoral, or too mentally unstable for training.

Speaking before House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense this past Wednesday, General Robert B. Neller of the United States Marine Corps said that recruiting young blood has become “hard work” due to how unfit America’s youths are for military service.

“It’s a strategic issue that less than 30 percent of the young men and women of our nation are qualified just to join the military, either because of physical, mental or moral issues,” said the commandant. “So now we’re down to 30 percent and now we have to find those that have a propensity or are interested in doing this.”

Neller still clarified that “this is a really good Marine Corps” despite the trouble with recruitment.

“And as there is some growth in the force, we’re all out there competing in the same — looking for the same type of young men or women,” he said.

Though Neller said the Marine Corps of modern day has its issues, he actually prefers it over the one he joined in 1976.

“And I could tell you about the Marine Corps I joined in 1976, and I don’t want to be in that Marine Corps; not that there weren’t good Marines, but I like this Marine Corps a lot better,” he said.

Part of the challenge for the Corps has been retention, as in keeping people enlisted, especially veterans, but Neller said that this year looks promising given that appropriations has given them money for bonuses.

One stat he said that “consistently goes down” is the number of people involved with illegal drugs. “Like all young people, we struggle with alcohol and certain behaviors, because 62 percent of the Marine Corps is 25 years old or less,” he said, but the Corps is seeing continued improvement in that area.

Neller said that 34,000 Marines are currently forward-deployed with “some in harm’s way, all engaged doing just what you expect them to be doing.”

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