Monday, November 13, 2017

What could go wrong? Army lifts ban on waivers for recruits with history of some mental health issues

Is this a good time to point out that the military has enough mental health problems as it is without opening this particular Pandora's Box?

Mental health services while on active duty generally and certainly post-discharge particularly are already strained to the breaking point... inadequate doesn't begin to describe it.

So let's allow people with demonstrated mental health issues to enlist... because, well, you know... what could go wrong?

Shades of McNamara's 100,000.

Army lists ban on waivers for recruits with history of some mental health issues
, USA TODAY Published 10:00 a.m. MT Nov. 12, 2017 | Updated 6:24 a.m. MT Nov. 13, 2017
WASHINGTON – People with a history of “self-mutilation,” bipolar disorder, depression and drug and alcohol abuse can now seek waivers to join the Army under an unannounced policy enacted in August, according to documents obtained by USA TODAY.
The decision to open Army recruiting to those with mental health conditions comes as the service faces the challenging goal of recruiting 80,000 new soldiers through September 2018. To meet last year's goal of 69,000, the Army accepted more recruits who fared poorly on aptitude tests, increased the number of waivers granted for marijuana use and offered hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses.
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