The military is having a hard time filling is ranks with the unpopular Iraq War in its fifth year.
One solution - offer dropouts training to meet the minimal educational requirements for staying in the National Guard.
The Army and Army National Guard also reach out to past dropouts with a promise to help them get their General Equivalency Diploma (GEDs) if
they enlist.
So far, 13,000+ recruits have earned their GEDs through the program.
The program is a three week intensive one, with a drill sergeant present and nine hours of instruction each day. Recruits are up at 4:45am each day for physical training as well.
Of course, there will always be the naysayers - an MIT defense analyst says the military could be hurting itself by recruiting dropouts because "The Department of Defense's own studies over 40 years have shown that soldiers with regular high school diplomas are more likely than those with an equivalent degree to finish an enlistment term."
But how many people without GEDs fulfill their commitment compared to those withouth the GED?
Do you believe in second chances?
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