The U.S. Navy has already lowered test-scoring standards for recruits to the lowest level allowed by law, and has now stopped requiring any form of secondary education. Recruits without a GED or high school diploma can now join the military if they score above the 50th percentile on the ASQT.
This decision reinstates the old policy. Until 2000, you could join the military without any formal education as long as you had adequate test scores.
The Navy is 6,000 people short of its 2023 hiring goal and is struggling to close the gap. This year's goal is to admit 40,600 men between the ages of 17 and 41 who meet the Navy's physical, mental and moral standards.
This is a difficult hurdle to clear. The vast majority of the U.S. population is ineligible for military service for reasons such as reduced physical fitness, past law violations, or test-taking ability. Fewer people are interested in serving, and all branches of service are below that number (except the Marine Corps, which is on target).
Vice Adm. Rick Cheeseman, chief of Navy personnel, told The Associated Press on Friday that recruit candidates without educational qualifications represent thousands of untapped human resources, even though they are at high risk of being lost during training. He said it could be.
“My argument for accepting that risk is that we have the ability to boot camp. We won't fill the seats. So I'm willing to take the risk,” he said.
