Military Eyes 16-year-olds

(The Washington Times) The best way to fix the U.S. armed forces recruiting challenges may involve dipping further into the nations high schools. As the Army Navy and other services contend with a thriving economy and a directive to expand their ranks there is a growing debate over whether the military should consider lowering the minimum enlistment age from 17 to 16. More than a dozen countries including the United Kingdom already have adopted the policy. Critics say the idea is deeply flawed and presents a host of societal problems but supporters argue that the Pentagon needs to think outside the box if it wants to continually overcome one of the toughest recruiting environments in decades.