That's a reasonable question. I have no idea about the stats involved, but the military is trying to expand it's active duty, reserves, and national guard forces, simultaneously while at war. In order to meet the new goals it has relaxed it's peacetime standards that were set very high because they didn't need lots of manpower. Now they do. So now they take recruits who have a minor criminal past and have not completed high school. In that expanded cohort there will be some people who get through taht will make poor soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen. Probably significant more than before the expansion and before the war. Thus, there will be a greater number who get in trouble and who get booted out.

Despite all of that, the retention (re-enlistment rate) among e-5 and above is still very high. What does that mean? It means that men & women who know the score, who have already served at least 3-4 years, are staying in the military. Also, the military academies have not dropped standards and junior officer retention is high.

What do these facts tell us?

B