Duckworth.

This is coolbert:

Senator Tammy Duckworth. Disabled combat veteran and now Senator from Illinois. Thanks to the article by Lynn Sweet as extracted from the Chicago Sun Times newspaper.

"Sen. Duckworth warns military may find itself short of recruits"

"WASHINGTON — Wounded Iraq war vet Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., a new member of the Armed Services Committee, on Wednesday warned that the military may find itself short of recruits."

"But the pool of potential recruits, she said, could be expanded if more youths were physically fit; non-citizen immigrants were welcomed; and discrimination against transgender troops ended."

 “Recently, for example, the Pentagon announced that only 29 percent of Americans between the ages of 17 and 24 are considered fit to serve. Just 29 percent. The other 71 percent either failed the basic math or English tests or could not pass a physical or were barred from enlisting because they made a mistake years ago that still lies on their record. Like getting caught with marijuana in a state where it’s now legal or once struggling with an opioid addiction."

"Some 27 percent of potential recruits are cut because they are overweight."

Comments:

* Non-citizens have always been able to join the USA military. You go to the local embassy in your home country and speak to the military attache and express your interest. Follow all legalities.

* Hardly is going to allow transgender troops or serve going to solve the problem of recruitment shortfall. That percentage of the population identifying as transgender and eligible to enlist less than 1 % of the youth cohort I might think.

"cohort - - noun - - 2b : a group of individuals having a statistical factor"

* Youthful indiscretions are often taken into account  during the recruitment process. Habitual indiscretions often also a sign of character weakness.

See previous blog entry [with additional embedded links] as germane to the recruitment problem:

coolbert.