Too Lax, Too Fat, Too Tat -- Army Having Trouble Finding Acceptable Recruits

And too drug-dependent as well. Welcome to America in the Obama years:

The majority of potential Army reservists are either hooked on prescription drugs, have too many tattoos, are overweight or have mental conditions that prohibit them from joining the military, recruiters say. Seven out of 10 applicants — who return to their civilian lives after training, but can be called into active service at any time — fail to meet Army Reserve standards on “mental, moral and physical reasons,” said Capt. Eric Connor, U.S. Army Reserve Command spokesman.

The problem affects the broader service as well. According to Army Recruiting Command statistics compiled last year, 71 percent of young people wanting to join the military would fail to pass service tests because of their physical, moral or cognitive shortcomings.

“Moral and cognitive shortcomings.” Oof. But let’s not just blame the victim here:

Recruiters have seen an uptick in the number of applicants who are dependent on prescription medication for behavioral issues, such as hyperactivity, that preclude them from action. Other candidates have been rejected for having tattoos too low on their forearms, as the Army put into place more stringent ink restrictions last year. Other recruiters are saying that obesity has become an issue, with many hopeful recruits failing short of the military’s physical standards.

So what’s the solution? Why, the Army’s very own Head Start program!

Some analysts say the military could remedy any impending recruiting problems by getting more creative in its recruiting efforts, such as establishing a preconditioning camp aimed at those who would fail the physical test but want to join, essentially delaying their active duty until they qualify physically.

Good Lord. Maybe old Gunny has the right idea: