Because diplomas aren't what they used to be

[wombat_socho]

The Army is going to allow more high-school dropouts to enlist if they pass certain criteria, according to an article in the Newark Star-Ledger. Recruits brought in under the TTAS provision will be required to take and pass the GED as well as passing a motivational screening test. I'm all in favor of this, especially if the screening works well and the washout rate stays around the 6% noted in the early testing. (By comparison, high school grads' washout rate is ~5% and non-TTAS dropouts' rate is about double that.) There's no reason it shouldn't. A lot of kids just don't do well in the education factories that many public schools have become, and not all of those kids are stupid or unmotivated. So it's good to see that the Army is looking at what these kids can do as opposed to what their credentials are. See also the GED Plus enlistment option. (h/t Jack Army)