In that time, 276,231 recruits enlisted in the Army with no prior military service. Of those 6.5 percent, or nearly 18,000 had waivers.
In a comparison of both groups the study found that soldiers who had received waivers for bad behavior:
Had a higher desertion rate (4.26 percent vs. 3.59 percent).
Had a higher misconduct rate (5.95 percent vs. 3.55 percent).
Had a higher rate of appearances before courts-martial (1 percent vs. 0.71 percent).
Had a higher dropout rate for alcohol rehabilitation failure (0.27 percent vs. 0.12 percent).
But they also:
Were more likely to re-enlist (28.48 percent vs. 26.76 percent).
Got promoted faster to sergeant (after 34.7 months vs. 39 months).
Had a lower rate of dismissal for personality disorders (0.93 percent vs. 1.12 percent).
Had a lower rate of dismissal for unsatisfactory performance (0.26 percent vs. 0.48 percent).
Waivers have been controversial for the military in recent months, with the news that the Army and Marine Corps have increased their use of the exemptions to bring in more recruits with criminal records than ever before.
The Army and the Marine Corps are under pressure to attract recruits as they struggle to increase their size to meet the combat needs of war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The last time the active-duty Army missed its recruiting goal was 2005. Last year it set a target of 80,000 recruits and signed up 80,410. It is shooting for another 80,000 this year.
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