A Study of Literacy in the American Armed Forces BEST COPY AVAILABLE

Literacy in the military has seen drastic changes since the World War II era and even the Vietnam era. Qualification tests are stricter and literacy programs are more available than before. Literacy in the military is crucial in a technological world. In today's armed forces, many soldiers concentrate on the technical aspect of combat through hands-on maintenance and set aside the reading involved in order to understand the complicated task of combat. A study examined the testing process of getting into the military; programs for soldiers who want to improve their literacy; the readability of documents soldiers read; and the literacy experiences of two veterans. Through extensive mathematics and reading comprehension testing, unqualified recruits are weeded out of those soldiers who make the grade in literacy and mathematics. Some soldiers pass the test, yet cannot perform reading tasks at a high school level. Fortunately, there are programs in all branches that assist in bringing all soldiers up to par in regards to reading and writing as well as other areas. A soldier's reading and writing level dictate what kind of occupations are available in the military. The bottom line today is if soldiers cannot read beyond a high school level, their chances for success in the military are small. (Contains 7 references and 2 figures of data.) (Author/RS) * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document.