We’ve come a long way since that time, and leadership at the Department of Defense (DoD) asserts that recruiting the widest possible pool of talent is not only the right thing to do, it is also a national security issue. As stated in the Department’s recent Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan 2012-2017, “It is critical that DoD strive to have a Total Force that not only possesses the diverse backgrounds and experiences to meet the complex challenges of the future global security environment, but that also reflects the face of the nation.”
This makes sense because the dedicated men and women who serve our country in the armed forces are the backbone of our national security—even more so than its ships, aircraft, tanks and weaponry. The United States military maintains rigorous eligibility standards because it needs competent, healthy and educated young men and women to fill the ranks of the most professional, respected and technologically-advanced military in the world.
