 were accepted. As Iraq burned, their numbers rose, rising from just six one-hundredths of a percent of new recruits and up to four percent. Convicted felons could secure a waiver from a sympathetic officer, and they were accepted, too. Physical fitness standards dropped. Recruiters fudged paperwork and coached problem cases like Bergdahl through background checks. His Coast Guard diagnosis was no longer disqualifying. He simply signed a form prepared by his recruiter stating that he had overcome his earlier issues.