Military policy on GEDs in flux

A recent column in which I advised the parents of a teen to let him drop out of high school, get his GED, and join the Army has been challenged by some military recruiters, and I submit to their correction.

My information, however recent, was outdated.

Seems the military policy concerning GEDs is in flux, and isn’t all that clear to boot, no pun intended.

Whereas most branches of the armed services once allowed individuals who possessed GEDs to enlist, the Marines no longer do and the other branches have tightened their policies.

It appears that GED students have a greater likelihood of not making it through basic training, perhaps because they tend to have greater problems with authority and sticking with commitments than high school grads.

When enlistees don’t make it, the military loses time, money and manpower hours, all precious commodities.

According to the US Army information Web site (www.us-army-info.com/pages/enlist.html), the Army is currently not accepting people with a GED in most areas of the country, but does make exceptions and those (about 15 percent of total enlistees) tend to have scored well on the Armed Services Vocational Assessment Battery. The Army also has a special track, the GED-Plus Enlistment Program, for disadvantaged young people who possess neither a high school diploma nor a GED. For more information, go to the source: a military recruiter.

Concern-ing the column in question, I made it clear that my advice was not typical, but made with consideration of the facts involved in that particular case.

There’s no doubt about it, a GED does put a person at a disadvantage, but the disadvantage isn’t necessarily life-long if the individual is willing to put a shoulder to the grindstone. I know more than a few folks who dropped out of high school, obtained GEDs, and made great successes out of their lives, demonstrating in the process that success is more about character, persistence and motivation than how and at what age one acquired a high school diploma, or its equivalent.

And now, on to other things, such as ...

QUESTION/ANSWER OF THE WEEK

Quite a number of readers have asked when I think a child should get a cell phone.

My answer is “When the child is able to pay for the phone and the service.”

I have yet to hear a good reason for purchasing a cell phone for a child who does not have a driver’s license, and if a child has a driver’s license, then he can get a job and pay for a cell phone on his own.

Let’s face it, these phones are being used primarily to exchange highly important text messages along the lines of “Whassup?” and “I see you!”

They are just one more distraction for a generation that definitely doesn’t need any more, one more disconnect between privilege and responsibility.

I know of one 12-year-old who has already lost three cell phones. What did his parents do each time? After lots of berating and lecturing, they bought him a new one!

That’ll teach him to be more careful!

• For more information about family psychologist John Rosemond, visit www.rosemond.com.