The Pentagon will start allowing the use of calculators on the military’s entrance exam, making it easier for new recruits, Military.com reported on Friday.
The Pentagon will soon allow the use of calculators on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), an academic assessment that determines whether applicants are qualified to join the military and what roles they could be eligible for, according to Military.com. The change comes amid a deepening recruiting crisis as a growing number of applicants do not qualify to serve in the military, as well as criticisms that the military has increasingly embraced left-wing agendas. (RELATED: The Army Might Be Ditching Its ‘Woke’ Image As It Faces Historic Recruiting Problems)
“The department is carefully considering the use of calculators for the ASVAB,” a Department of Defense official told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “We are taking a systematic approach, which will assess the impact of calculator use, and we are developing a way forward for calculator inclusion based on best practices in test development and psychometric theory.”
A specific timeline for when calculators will be allowed on the ASVAB assessment has not yet been provided, according to Military.com. Until recently, the ASVAB has remained largely unchanged since its introduction in 1968, Army Times reported.
The Pentagon has been hesitant to implement the new calculator policy for its ASVAB assessment out of fear of criticism that the military is further lowering its standards to enlist new recruits, Military.com reported.
The change comes amid a growing number of applicants who do not qualify for the military for failing to meet academic or physical standards or both, according to Military.com. The Pentagon found that 77% of young Americans do not qualify for recruitment; they attribute the shortfalls to drug use, obesity, mental health, as well as not meeting the standard on the aptitude test.
It also comes as the military faces a growing number of criticisms for embracing left-wing agenda items, including the widespread implementation of diversity, equality and inclusion policies, and a number of LGBTQ-related programs such as drag-queen story hour on bases and helping service members evade state transgender laws. Only 60% of Americans have confidence in the military, the lowest number reported in over 25 years.
Nearly all branches of the military have been affected by the recruiting crisis, most prominently in the Army, Air Force and Navy, according to Military.com. All three branches expect to miss their recruiting targets again this year after failing to meet goals in 2022.
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