Mike Hunt and I had a discussion a little while back on what effect the economy might have on armed services recruiting. We weren’t sure if the end result would be that the new recruits would be less impressive (because the job opportunities for less impressive people have dried up) or more impressive (because they can afford to be more selective). The answer, it would seem, is more selective:

Last year, 99% of recruits had a high school diploma before entering the service, up from 91% in 2006, when fighting in Iraq was near its peak and the economy was stronger.

The increased interest in the armed forces means recruiters can be choosier about whom they let into the military.

“We turn away a lot more people than we have in years past,” said Army Staff Sgt. David Harris, a recruiter in Roswell, Ga.

The military has dramatically cut the number of “waivers,” which allowed people to join the military despite past misconduct or medical reasons.

The Army granted waivers to 8.7% of the recruits entering the service last fiscal year, down from 15.6% the previous year. Most of those waivers were for medical reasons.