Nearly all branches of the US military are presently struggling with recruiting soldiers.
Army planners say only about 23% of 17 to 24-year-olds who are interested in joining the military are able to meet the requirements to do so, with many failing the entrance exam or being too overweight to serve.
However, those who nearly passed their exam or did not have too high of a body fat count were able to apply for pre-basic training, which allowed for 3,300 out of 4,000 applicants to go onto basic training.
While Army Secretary Christine Wormuth and General James McConville have said they will not lower health standards required for enlisting or commissioning, the same cannot be said for other branches. The Navy has allowed lower exam test scores just as the Air Force is growing more lenient with those who test positive for cannabis use.
In June of last year, the Army relaxed its tattoo policy in an effort to find more recruits. Following that decision, officials also announced recruits would not need their high school diploma or GED in order to enlist.