At least one in eight U.S. Army's new recruits had a criminal record or other past misconducts that requires a waiver to join the Army, the USA Today reported Monday.
The percentage of such recruits has more than doubled since 2004, it said.
The increase reflects the difficulties the Army faces in attracting youngsters into the military at a time of war.
Most waivers involve misdemeanors. The Army has granted 4,676 conduct waivers among the 36,047 recruited from October through late February.
The waivers have helped the Army meet its active and reserve recruitment goals of about 100,000 people a year for the past several years.
In the United States, a recruit needs a waiver if he or she has one felony or serious misdemeanor or more than three minor misdemeanors.
For example, a single charge of possessing marijuana or driving under the influence requires a waiver.
Minor misdemeanors include disorderly conduct, trespassing or vandalism.
In comparison to the Army, the Air Force and Navy generally haven't faced the same recruiting pressures because they have fewer troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Waivers for the Marine Corps have remained relatively flat for the past four years.
Source:Xinhua
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