Is the Army Dumb??? Low standards for soldiers

So with Govt figure heads having slips of the tongue with comments like "if your too dumb to go to college you end up in the Army" I ask myself the question why does the army have the reputation of being the least intelligent branch of service. Now before you start getting all mad and start to think this is a bash the army blog, it is not I only want to explore the reason the men and women who serve in my sister service are considered less intelligent.

Well lets get away from what people think and lets take some look at statistics, facts not just opinions, because we all know opinions are like assholes everybody has one right? right.

The U.S. Army has the lowest ASVAB requirements than ANY other branch. This could translate into the army saying "we'll take the least smartest people, than anyone else" The army commonly approves waivers for individuals who score as low as 25 on the ASVAB.




The U.S Army recruits more GED (non-highschool graduates) than any other branch of the military. In fiscal year 2008 only 83% of new army recruits had high school diplomas, Oh and if you don't have a diploma or a GED you might be able to go the Army prep school, where the Army will help you get your GED.

Okay so now we all know that the Army has very low academic criteria, this doesn't mean that everyone who joins the army scores a 31 on the ASVAB or is a high school drop out, it just means that you will find more of these individuals in the Army than in any other branch.

Why? Why does the army lower there standards to these levels and make exceptions so often for people who can't even meet there already low standards. The answer is simple because they have to. Being an Army recruiter is probably the most stressful job you could have, They work ridiculously long hours and have tremendous pressure to make what they call "mission" basically meeting their assigned monthly quota's.

The Army by nature of the type of service it is, makes it a hard job to recruit for. That's why there throwing money at people to sign up, and of course dropping standards, and what ever else they can do to over come this tremendous drawback of having to go to war, which if you join the Army is pretty much inevitable these days and times.


God bless the soldiers who actually join because they want to go to war,to fight and serve. These are our heroes and I respect them greatly, but all the other people who are more interested in maintaining a normal lifestyle and wanting to get something back from their service tend to not be so easily sold. The media doesn't help the Army's situation out at all, with the deaths of soldiers being displayed on the news, and the stories of soldiers serving 14 plus months in Iraq then coming home for less than half than before returning for another year or more is ridiculous and most people are not signing up for that.

This is why the standards are lowered, and I am going to be politically incorrect but I am going to give it to you straight. the percentage of people who can't score a 32 on the ASVAB is much more likely to not have any promising career options, than someone who has the mental aptitude to score higher. in other words if you are too dumb to score lets say a 34 on the ASVAB then you are probably too dumb to get a decent job, therefore the ARMY who only requires you to score a 31 and have a GED will recruit you.

In the Army you will have a decent salary, make rank fairly quickly and financially have a good life. So when this low scoring person weighs his options the Army seems to be the better option, and in my opinion I totally agree. The Army can offer a wonderful life, great income, retirement and benefits.

Many of the Army's recruits come from the inner cities, or the back woods, but there are also people with perfect ASVAB scores, Scores of a 99 who join the Army.

So there you have I guess it all boils down to this, not everyone in the Army is dumb, It's just that you will find more dumb people in the Army than in any other branch.


(I don't know if that last statement is really true,and it is not my own belief, but I guess if it were a true statement as many seem to think, it would make perfect sense as to why)