Pentagon officials announced Monday that the Army has managed to achieve its latest recruiting goals, while admitting that they have lowered some standards that had been set to ensure the quality of the force.

But as the military continues investigations into alleged atrocities committed by U.S. troops in Iraq, some experts worry that the Army, stretched thin by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and under pressure to fill its ranks, might be signing up soldiers who should not be in the service.

The military's revelation last week that former Pfc. Steven Green, who allegedly organized the rape and murder of an Iraqi girl and the killing of her family, suffered from "anti-social personality disorder" sheds new light on the importance of how the Army decides whom to sign up for service, say military analysts.

"The issue is not whether they've met their quota," said Winslow Wheeler, an expert on the U.S. military at the Center for Defense Information in Washington. "The issue is quality ... and what concessions they are willing to make to meet this quota."

First off, it's not news that the Army has lowered it's standards to get more people to enlist. We've been talking about it here for over a year now. Most of the changes in standards dropped them from higher than other branches down to match what other branches were doing. That means that previously, people who could not get in the Army could get into the Navy, Air Force or Marines as they all had lower standards than the Army. This is a good example of how a story can get slanted to have a certain impact.


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