When it comes to U.S. Army recruiting, the more things change, the more they stay the same. To put it bluntly, the Army created its own SNAFU (for those who don’t know, “Situation Normal All F’d Up).

In short, the Army ended a requirement of recruits that they had to have either graduated high school or earned a GED. This would have helped fill a massive hole in Army recruiting which is only at 40 percent of its annual goal with only a few months away from the end of its fiscal year.

Because the U.S. is increasingly becoming a country where innovative ideas go to die, it comes as no surprise that this overdue change in requirements for enlistment was reversed less than a week later due to pushback from “some circles,” according to a story on military.com.

(But, Michael, why should the military not have an educational standard for who it takes in to be the front line defenders of our country?)

Fun Fact: The standard for acceptance for non-graduates was higher than it is for those carrying a diploma.

Each potential recruit is required to take an aptitude test (Armed Forces Qualification Test) as a part of the enlistment process. High school graduates must score no lower than a 31 on the AFQT. Non-graduates needed to score no less than a 50.

However, let’s set aside test scores. We have able-bodied young men and women experiencing hardship in their lives, oftentimes through no fault of their own, who are willing to give up personal freedoms to serve our country during what is proving to be increasingly volatile times both home and abroad.

One of the more patriotically romantic stories of Army service in wartime is that of soldiers too young to serve who made up their age and documentation to serve in the Army. Again, this was most often orphans or kids just down on their luck through no fault of their own searching for an escape from an otherwise dreary present and no foreseeable future.

Yes, the possibility of going to war can be more appealing for some than the life they find here in the U.S.

Take the case of “Aiden,” an Indiana recruit who had his stepfather kick him out of their home because he dared reach the age of 18.

The Army Times shares the story of how the boot hit Aiden’s ass out the door before he finished high school and the new home he found was too far to make it in to school. Aiden later passed the AFQT with a score that’s 57 percent higher than all Americans who take the test, Aiden was bound for the Army.

But, our wishy-washy Army pencil pushers revoked his enlistment because, you know, “some circles” didn’t approve of the new Army policy just passed days before.

“They just pulled the rug out from under me,” he said. “I don’t even want a complicated job — I will fill whatever spot they give me. Let me go to training and let me get my GED after joining” (to reenlist, the non-high school graduate soldiers would have had to earn a GED within two years in service).

Yep, Aiden got royally FUBARed by his own country … F’d Up Beyond All Recognition.

What kind of country are we that we can’t offer support and guidance to the lost youth in our communities that military service can provide. It is a fully voluntary commitment, and it’s clear those with high school diplomas or GEDs aren’t eagerly looking to fill the ranks.

Aimless youth left to their own devices do not make for a safe present or hopeful future. Buffalo, Uvalde and Highland Park are extreme examples of youth run wild, but a rise in crime overall demonstrates we shouldn’t be closing doors to opportunities, we should be opening them.

That’s long been the winning trade off in filling the ranks of the greatest military in history.

A portion of The Soldier’s Creed reads as such, “I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself. I am an expert and I am a professional.”

That sounds exactly like the well-trained American soldier we have come to expect in our branches of the military. The Army needs to go back to accepting willing and able young men and women without high school degrees not GEDs. Let’s not F this up!

Michael D. Messerly is the Publisher of the The Daily Iberian and Acadiana Lifestyle Magazine. He can be reached at mmesserly@daily-iberian.com