Thing is, LH, the Armed Forces no longer really wants idiots who only want to fight. As a lieutenant colonel I was talked with recently said, "The Army isn't about to entrust a weapons system, or even a rifle, to a guy who can't figure out how to pick his nose unless he has help."

ALL of the US Armed Forces now require at least a high school diploma or GED. Drop out, and you can't even get into the Marines.

Once saw a big old farmboy, your stereotypical clod, go hand-to-hand with a little city boy who happened to have a judo black belt. Farmboy damned near tossed the little guy over the roof. Then, when the farmboy was feeling nine feet tall and covered with hair, a five foot five inch feller disillusioned him. Seems like the 5-5 guy was the first little guy's friend, and was slated for advanced training as a hand-to-hand combat instructor, since he held black belts in both Taekwondo AND Kungfu....

Ever notice that those who CAN never boast of it?