The military may relax recruiting standards for fitness and pot use

Defense Secretary Ash Carter has launched a sweeping review of the military’s recruiting standards, saying current rules for screening new entrants may be “overly restrictive” and preventing America’s most talented young people from joining the ranks.

Among the benchmarks that will get new scrutiny: fitness standards, marijuana use, tattoo regulations and the military’s longtime reluctance to allow single parents to start military careers.

Carter’s announcement Tuesday marked the latest round of his “Force of the Future” personnel reforms, which are driven by his concerns that the military today is ill-equipped to recruit and retain the top talent needed for future missions.

“We’re going to review and update these standards as appropriate,” Carter said in a speech to reserve officer training corps cadets at the City College of New York. “Now, some of these things we’ll never be able to compromise on. And we will always have to maintain high standards. But at the same time, these benchmarks must be kept relevant for both today’s force and tomorrow’s, meaning we have to ensure they’re not unnecessarily restrictive.”

Read More- Military Times

Image courtesy of US Army