 Military Matters. The Navy announced it's dropping the high school diploma or GED requirement. The Air Force is welcoming back retirees to active duty. All to combat a combined 20,000-person sign-up deficit across branches last year. The Marines hit their target but called it the most challenging recruiting environment since the establishment of the all-volunteer force. The reasons are complicated. A robust jobs market, global conflict, and retired Colonel Mike Jalousius points out that there are simply fewer people ages 17 to 25.