US Army Says New Program to Give Recruits Who Fail Initial Tests 'Path to Serve'

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US Army announced it is launching a pilot program to allow recruits who fail initial physical and academic tests into practice courses with the expectation that they will ultimately meet minimum standards needed to begin basic training.

"The Future Soldier Prep Course allows recruits, who meet all other qualifications for enlistment, a path to serve," the Army army said in a press release on Tuesday. "The young men and women who will participate in this pilot have the desire to improve themselves and want to honorably serve their country. This course is a great way to increase opportunities for them to serve without sacrificing the quality needed across our force."

The Army has identified approximately 2,000 applicants who may be eligible to participate in the course, which is set to start in early August at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, the press release said.

Initial results will then be reviewed in the early part of fiscal year 2023 to determine the program’s effectiveness and whether it ought to become permanent, the release said.

The program contains a fitness track for recruits who do not meet body fat composition standards and an academic track for recruits who score poorly on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test, the release also said.

Recruits in the program will be given 90 days to meet the standards, with opportunities every three weeks to leave the program and ship to basic training, the release added.

The program comes amid a US military recruitment crisis for fiscal year 2022 whereby 23% of Americans between the ages of 17 and 24 are qualified to serve in the military without a waiver. Only 9% of young Americans are eligible to serve in the military and are inclined to do so, according to Defense Department data.