I am interested to know how the age group of 18-23 go in other armies and what happens to soldiers who are not up to the standard of training say a year after basic employment training or their attitude is of a poor standard.
Cheers cuny12

I've sent two stepsons into the US Army. The oldest went to basic training in 2005 but did not make it through and was discharged. While I knew our Army would not ask him to do anything he could not physically or mentally do, I also knew my son and knew he would not make it. While he was a bright individual, he lacked the mental and physical toughness a profession like military service entails.

My second stepson enlisted (after much encouragement) into the Army in Sept. 2008. At the last minute, he decided to join the Army Reserves instead of the Regular Army.

This son lacked discipline, but was physically twice the size of his older brother. In basic training, he was given the nickname "Sid", after the dimwitted sloth character from the movie "Ice Age." Needless to say, this stepson got more size, but less brains than his older brother.

He made it through basic training, but did not make it through medic training. He was recycled twice before the Army decided to reclassify him to a less mentally challenging field. Also while at his medical training, they do not give the same level of constant supervision that he received during basic training (weekends, evenings off, less structured lifestyle).

For this stepson, time plus money minus supervision was a recipe for disaster. Within two months from the start of his medic training, he had already received an Article 15 (US Military non-judical punishment), meaning he was busted in rank, lost a month's pay, restriction to barracks and extra duty for that time period. Not a great way to start one's career.

It was after this incident that he was eventually transferred to be trained as a supply specialist because that school has a 98% graduation rate.

He did graduate and returned home in July 2009 as a Reserve soldier. Of course, his reserve service was less than stellar (missing weekend drills or forgetting about them and arriving at noon, etc.). I convinced him to ask to go onto active duty. He's been on active duty in Germany since around February 2010.

Hopefully, he will receive more supervision and become a good soldier, but right now his life revolves around getting drunk.

Unfortunately drinking can be a big problem for some guys very interesting on how they deal with them we have the same system such as charges and so forth but its very rare that a person will be corp transferred its funny how the ultra intelligent ones dont do as well as those who lack a few smarts basic orders dont make sense to academicly smart people as they think about it and question all aspects and then for them it doesnt make sense to them.
Guys just fresh out of high school do well in tests but then when it comes time to do the job they lack mental and physical endurance or if they are given authority they abuse it because it goes to there head.
Thanks for your info cheers Ben.