THOUSANDS of potential squaddies have been barred from joining the Army because of acne.
Some 2,600 hopefuls were refused over skin conditions in the last four years.
It is about one in 18 of all medical rejections, MoD data confirms.
MOD documents suggest the condition might otherwise “affect the ability to wear military clothing or to operate military equipment”.
Former Army Colonel Phil Ingram told The Sun on Sunday: “Once again the rules around medical conditions stopping people from joining the military haven’t kept up with medical advancements.
“In a military desperate for people it is time to ensure the maximum recruiting pool and stopping people from joining because of acne – a perfectly manageable condition, is nothing short of madness.”
Defence Secretary John Healey has vowed to lift the Army’s ban on acne.
The Army is currently composed of around 71,000 troops with the defence secretary admitting it will take “some time to reverse the decline”.
An MOD spokesperson said: “This Government inherited a recruitment crisis, with targets being missed every year for the past 14 years and is taking decisive action to stop the long-term decline in numbers and speed up the recruitment process.
“This includes speeding up the process of allowing people to rejoin the military and scrapping 100 outdated recruitment policies, such as rules blocking sufferers of acne.
Thousands of potential squaddies have been barred from joining the Army because of acne Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
