The ‘Genesis’ of today’s recruiting crisis
A new system and old medical records are slowing the influx of volunteers, recruiters say
By Irene Loewenson and Geoff Ziezulewicz
Apr 10, 04:23 AM
The annals of U.S military valor feature scores of heroes who concealed part of their medical history to serve their country.
Consider President John F. Kennedy. As a young man, he suffered a host of painful, disqualifying physical ailments, such as back pain and ulcers, but leaned on his father’s connections to get around the required Navy medical exams.
Lt. Kennedy went on to command a patrol torpedo boat that a Japanese warship sheared in half during World War II, and he later received a Purple Heart and Navy and Marine Corps Medal.
In recent decades, the lies told to enlist haven’t approached those extremes.
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2023/04/10/the-genesis-of-todays-recruiting-crisis/