The US Navy has once again lowered its recruiting standards, this time eliminating the high school diploma or GED requirement.
This is the second time in recent memory that the Navy has lowered its requirements while continuing to fail to meet recruiting goals.
Military.com reports:
The decision follows a move made in December 2022 to bring in a greater number of recruits who scored very low on the Armed Forces Qualification Test. Both moves are fairly rare, with other military services largely eschewing or limiting them, though they are finding it increasingly difficult to attract the dwindling number of young people who can meet the military's physical, mental and moral standards.
Under the new plan, Navy recruits without educational credentials will be able to join as long as they score a 50 or higher on the qualifying test, out of a score of 99. The last time the service received personnel without educational credentials was in 2000.
“We get thousands of people at our recruiting stations every year who want to join the Navy but don't have educational credentials. We're turning them away,” Vice Adm. Rick Cheeseman, the chief of staff of the Navy, told The Associated Press on Friday.
More than 2,400 interested people were turned away last year for not meeting education standards, Cheesman said.
“Hopefully all recruiters have contacted all 2,442 people in the last 72 hours, and we'll see how it goes… We'll try to get some test takers this weekend,” Cheeseman said.
The Navy, Army and Air Force failed to meet their hiring goals last fiscal year.
“Last year, the Navy's recruiting goal was 37,700, but the service brought in only 31,834,” explains the Military.com report. “Cheesman said he set a higher goal this year, 40,600. The Navy's total size for 2024 is 337,800 enlisted men.”
“I need these sailors. So it's a stretch goal. We're asking our recruiters to go get 40,600 people to join the Navy,” Cheeseman said. “We're not quite expecting to get that many. But we will strive for that.”
