The US Navy has decided to accept more recruits with lower aptitudes as the recruitment crisis deepens, US media reported.
As per the new established recruitment guidelines, the US Navy will be able to enlist 7,500 new recruits amongst applicants with high school diplomas scoring between 10-30% on the AFQT.
As we continue to navigate a challenging recruiting environment, changing the AFQT [Armed Forces Qualification Test] requirement removes a potential barrier to enlistment, allowing the USA to widen the pool of potential recruits.
Creating opportunities for personnel who wish to serve, David Benham, spokesperson for Commander, Navy Recruiting Command, was quoted by Military.com as saying.
This year, about 20% of the entire recruitment pool for the Navy may be made of elements from the lowest aptitudes category, according to the report.
As there may be some concerns regarding the pool quality, Benham said that all potential candidates will still have to meet the recruitment requirements.
Furthermore, even though the new guidelines open the door to a bigger recruitment pool, this is not meant to be a permanent solution, nor the cure to issues regarding Navy enlistment.
The US military faces serious challenges in its recruitment goals, falling short 15,000 of its enlistment goals for 2022. Pandemic restrictions, including the Covid-19 vaccination mandates, have contributed to the problem.
Sputnik / ABC Flash Point News 2022.
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