In an effort to produce more qualified recruits, the Army has implemented a new program to help youngsters complete their high school work.

The U.S. Army has, from its inception, served as a magnificent strength for our country. We need to remind ourselves of the countless benefits and achievements of this branch of service and take note of where this nation would be without a strong Army and other branches of the military. There are ample critics of the Army, but the overall record of this military service is superb.

To its high credit, the Army has initiated a prep school program designed to get young people prepared for meaningful service. The Army is trying to fill its ranks while wars rage in Iraq and Afghanistan. It has had trouble getting enough volunteers for its programs and is turning to youngsters who haven't completed high school or a GED program.

"It's academic immersion," said Col. Jeffrey Sanderson, chief of staff at Fort Jackson, S.C., home of the Army's largest basic training school. "Our studies show that with only three out of every 10 people of military age being capable of joining the Army, we are going to have to do something different."

So a mini-campus has been set up for a yearlong pilot program. Students will get special GED preparation with work on basic math, social studies and reading. Recruits must score in the top half of the Army's aptitude test to qualify for the prep school. Those who cannot pass the various tests and master the classwork will be released from contracts with the Army. They are not locked into service.

The Army is hoping to add 74,000 soldiers by 2010 with an eye on an active duty force of nearly 550,000. A National Priorities Project study released in January says that the Army's goal is to have high school graduates make up 90 percent of its new recruits. This goal has not been met since 2004. Recruits in today's complex armed forces need all the education they can get.

For all its critics, the Army has a proud history of making vital contributions to our society, not only in combat but in other areas. One of the most notable achievements in recent times is a program to help wounded veterans stay in service in some capacity at regular pay and benefits, if they choose, rather than casting them out and forgetting them, often with disastrous results.

Now comes the Army with an education program that could have widening impact and populate that branch of service with fine prospective citizens. The buzz words of today's promoters for the service are "Army strong." That means academically prepared individuals, as well as muscular performers.

The GED program being tested in South Carolina has terrific promise and, if it is administered properly, it could boost the ranks and turn out increasing numbers of people who are, indeed, "Army strong."

Editorial by the Lawrence Journal-World