REPORT: 75% of Louisiana’s Young Adults Unable To Join Military
A new report calls for the state to increase funding for education and child care assistance due to 75% of Louisiana's young adults being unable to join the armed forces.
The report, compiled as part of the Mission: Readiness initiative of the Council for a Strong America, shows that Louisiana's young adults either have criminal records or histories of drug abuse that prevent them from serving, or are ineligible for military service due to being too uneducated or overweight.
Mission: Readiness is made up of over 700 retired military leaders who advocate for public policy that prepares our youth to be able to serve their nation.
On average, 71% of Americans aged 17 to 24 are ineligible for duty. Only young adults in the District of Columbia and Mississipi fare worse than Louisiana, with 78% and 76% being ineligible to serve, respectively. Alabama, Arkansas, and New Mexico follow Louisiana, with 74% of young adults being ineligible. Texas has a 73% ineligibility rate.
Massachusets, Minnesota, New Jersey, Maine, and Hawaii are the only states with ineligibility rates under 70%.