By Saagar Enjeti, DCNF 
The U.S. Army will now allow recruits with a history of mental health issues including self-harm and mutilation, USA Today reports.
The move is reportedly part of a major Army drive to increase recruitment amongst its ranks and hit new quotas mandated until September 2018. It will allow candidates with a history of “self-mutilation, bipolar disorder, depression and drug and alcohol abuse.”
“The decision was primarily due to the increased availability of medical records and other data which is now more readily available,” Lt. Col. Randy Taylor told USAToday, adding that a stringent process would remain in place for recruits to receive a waiver.
“The burden of proof is on the applicant to provide a clear and meritorious case for why a waiver should be considered,” a memo obtained by USAtoday reads. The decision to allow such candidates with a history of mental health issues however could pose a risk to the future of the force. High profile incidents have involved candidates with history of such issues.
These include the case of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl who walked off his base in Afghanistan in 2009 only to become a Taliban prisoner for 5 years. Bergdahl was freed after former President Barack Obama freed five high risk detainee’s from Guantanamo bay. U.S. Army investigators found that Bergdahl suffered from delusions and naïveté and discovered that he had been ejected from Coast Guard training in 2006 for mental health reasons. This history was not, however, reviewed prior to his enlistment.
Follow Saagar Enjeti on Twitter
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
- The Florida candidate laser-focused on eradicating horrific animal crimes - March 22, 2024
- Sabo: ‘Rush was our GOAT, there was no equal and he made it look easy’ - February 18, 2024
- Dana Bash appears to want to crawl out of her own skin when Ramaswamy ‘goes there’ on J6 - December 7, 2023
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
BPR INSIDER COMMENTS
Scroll down for non-member comments or join our insider conversations by becoming a member. We'd love to have you!
