WEATHERWATCH
Why the US military is on the brink of a recruitment crisis
by RUSSEL READ, CIRCA
FILE - In this Aug. 20, 2017 file photo, U.S. Army soldiers stands next to a guided-missile launcher, a few miles from the frontline, in the village of Abu Ghaddur, east of Tal Afar, Iraq. American troops have started to draw down from Iraq following Baghdad’s declaration of victory over the Islamic State group last year, according to western contractors at a U.S.-led coalition base in Iraq. (AP Photo/Balint Szlanko, File)

WASHINGTON (CIRCA) - The U.S. military is one of the finest fighting forces the world has ever seen, but even with the most modern technology and military hardware at its command, its still relies on its most important weapon: manpower, and that weapon is at serious risk.

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Approximately 71 percent of Americans ages 17 to 24, the military's main recruitment source, are ineligibly to serve, according to the Pentagon. That's 24 million of the 34 million people in that age group. This means that the U.S. military has only 10 million people from which it can replenish its ranks in the future.

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