The ‘Genesis’ of Today’s Recruiting Crisis

Kierkegaard

Kierkegaard

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https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2023/04/10/the-genesis-of-todays-recruiting-crisis/

Thought this was a fascinating read. Seems the military’s new electronic health record system has played at least some role in the recent recruiting challenges with its ability to identify applicants’ undisclosed past medical treatments.

I suppose the next step then is to simplify the waiver process and reconsider some disqualifying conditions that don’t really need to be DQs, which it sounds like DoD is also working on, albeit at a snail’s pace.

It’s unfortunate that so many have felt the need to omit certain information from the medical history in order to join up. Certainly there are very good reasons for taking a comprehensive history for each applicant, but when people are getting DQ for a minor wrist sprain or a visit to a therapist, then having to jump hurdles for a shot at a waiver, it makes you wonder if the current system is optimal.
 
Kierkegaard said:
It’s unfortunate that so many have felt the need to omit certain information from the medical history in order to join up. Certainly there are very good reasons for taking a comprehensive history for each applicant, but when people are getting DQ for a minor wrist sprain or a visit to a therapist, then having to jump hurdles for a shot at a waiver, it makes you wonder if the current system is optimal.
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While I agree... I have always found it somewhat ironic how positively society and media portrayed WW2 vets (and likely others) who lied to get in, whether it was age or medical. Captain America would have been a short-story today.
 
Interesting read. Lots of layers (like most things). Hopefully, things will morph and adapt and level out. Always a learning curve.

I agree with the ‘instant gratification’ element, too. ‘No thanks, I’ll go work at Starbucks’. Our society is also changing.

Interesting, also, that this isn’t a screening done with DODMERB? Only MEPS. Officer still relies on self reporting. Enlisted has the electronic overview of all medical records. That’s kind of shocking to me.

Lastly, I have a new respect for recruiters. And better understand the medical ‘gloss-over’ effect I have seen reported here, on occasion.
 
justdoit19 said:
Interesting read. Lots of layers (like most things). Hopefully, things will morph and adapt and level out. Always a learning curve.

I agree with the ‘instant gratification’ element, too. ‘No thanks, I’ll go work at Starbucks’. Our society is also changing.

Interesting, also, that this isn’t a screening done with DODMERB? Only MEPS. Officer still relies on self reporting. Enlisted has the electronic overview of all medical records. That’s kind of shocking to me.

Lastly, I have a new respect for recruiters. And better understand the medical ‘gloss-over’ effect I have seen reported here, on occasion.
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And you think this “instant gratification” “no thanks” “I will go work at whatever” is new?

For many decades our countries military numbers were met because of a system of forcing US citizens to serve who had expressed absolutely no interest in serving and had not gone down to a recruiter to enlist.

And many would do almost anything not to serve. Five deferments, fake injuries and sickness, fake being a pacifist, escaping to Canada.

Some more successful at this than others.

From civil war thru Vietnam we relied on a draft , especially during a time of combat ,forcing those who would rather stay home to serve in our military and often in combat.
 
Small Team Bacsi said:
And you think this “instant gratification” “no thanks” “I will go work at whatever” is new?

For many decades our countries military numbers were met because of a system of forcing US citizens to serve who had expressed absolutely no interest in serving and had not gone down to a recruiter to enlist.

And many would do almost anything not to serve. Five deferments, fake injuries and sickness, fake being a pacifist, escaping to Canada.

Some more successful at this than others.

From civil war thru Vietnam we relied on a draft , especially during a time of combat ,forcing those who would rather stay home to serve in our military and often in combat.
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Yes…I do think our current generations are more conditioned to INSTANT gratification, than those before. Clicks on instagrams. Scrolling news feeds. Immediate access to answers in the palm of our hands via mini computers that will tell them what we want to know, now. Portals. Logging into test score in school when they are electronically uploaded, and an almost immediate semester grade.

Just look at the “waiting “ threads at people checking for appointments every hour, on the hour. We live in an instant society now. Not saying it’s bad, but it’s different. than it used to be, before the Internet. I’m saying, that without knowing instantly, the desire wanes. Same thing mentioned in the article.
 
And the fact that the majority of Americans try not to or do not serve in our military one of the most unusual atypical Americans in our history was future senator Paul Douglas .

A professor at U of Chicago, am alderman in Chicago, a best buddy of the sec of the navy, and a Quaker

He refused an offer of a high level commission in the navy during ww2 doing important stuff that would have nothing to do with being under fire.

Instead he enlisted in the USMC as a boot pvt. was 50 years old when he graduated from boot camp.

Rose to the rank of staff sgt. Was commissioned as a Mustang. Made two,of the worst combat deployments in USMC history. Combat wounded 2x combat decorated 2x.

But we sure needed a draft during ww2 because almost no American ever has been quite like a Paul Douglas.

How many of the kids who post here or whose parents post here would serve if they had to go the enlisted route?
 
Intriguing article to say the least.

Piggybacking off a question I posed on another forum, does anyone know if DoDMERB utilizes MHS Genesis as part of the ROTC/NROTC medical screening process or is MHS Genesis strictly used for enlisted accessions?

As far as I can tell, DoDMERB still relies on self disclosure by applicants. Is this the case?

Any gouge would be appreciated.

I'm USN enlisted to USNA via NAPS, then commissioned USMC.
 
GrilledCheese94 said:
Intriguing article to say the least.

Piggybacking off a question I posed on another forum, does anyone know if DoDMERB utilizes MHS Genesis as part of the ROTC/NROTC medical screening process or is MHS Genesis strictly used for enlisted accessions?

As far as I can tell, DoDMERB still relies on self disclosure by applicants. Is this the case?

Any gouge would be appreciated.

I'm USN enlisted to USNA via NAPS, then commissioned USMC.
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Good question, and one that I doubt anyone other than perhaps Mr. Mullen himself could answer authoritatively (and if they could, they probably wouldn’t). If they are using Genesis, you’d expect that it would reduce the number of qualified candidates in academy admissions. I wonder if that has anything to do with why the number of applications cratered last year.
 
I needed a waiver for allergies to commission USMC (Ground) from USNA in '94.

I enlisted USN in '87, then off to NAPS '90 after a few years in the fleet.

They knew *EVERYTHING* about me (medically) since I first applied for USNA while in HS circa '85 (obviously didn't succeed...that time). I had nothing new to disclose that they didn't already know about since I had been under active duty USN medical care for almost a decade!

Sometimes I wonder if it's just the tail chasing the dog.
 
justme said:
While I agree... I have always found it somewhat ironic how positively society and media portrayed WW2 vets (and likely others) who lied to get in, whether it was age or medical. Captain America would have been a short-story today.
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Would Audie Murphy (roughly 5 foot 7, 120 lbs) have been allowed to enlist today?
 
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