Did any take a written test? That score can be used to determine how smart a person is and is not an IQ test like you take in school. When I applied to work at Hawaiian Airlines back in 1968, they gave me a written test, a physical and back xray.
The military requires everyone to take a series of aptitude tests, not intelligence tests.
Aptitude means you have the ability to learn certain basic skills that make you more likely to excel in one certain career paths or another. The scores can be used to approve or reassign a recruit to either their preferred job or one that better suits them.
If you demonstrate knowledge/ability to quickly identify patterns, you could be good at intelligence analysis, computer science, or other technical fields that require that ability. This is not only a test of basic education, but also a way to see if you can think to solve a problem.
The test the military administers is the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). It has 10 test areas:
- General Science - measures knowledge of life science, earth and space science, and physical science
- Arithmetic Reasoning - measures ability to solve basic arithmetic word problems
- Word Knowledge - measures ability to understand the meaning of words through synonyms
- Paragraph Comprehension - measures ability to obtain information from written material
- Mathematics Knowledge - measures knowledge of mathematical concepts and applications
- Electronics Information - measures knowledge of electrical current, circuits, devices and electronic systems
- Auto and Shop Information - measures knowledge of automotive maintenance and repair, and wood and metal shop practices
- Mechanical Comprehension - measures knowledge of the principles of mechanical devices, structural support and properties of materials
- Assembling Objects - measures ability with spatial relationships
I thought when I took it in high school the test was way easier than any tests I'd taken as a junior especially the SAT/PSAT. I had the recruiters from every service calling me for an appointment with the exception of the Marines. The Marine recruiter showed up on our doorstep in uniform with the enlistment papers all filled out!
So, the evidence is there. The military doesn't look for and recruit low IQ drones who only know how to follow orders. Why else would they look for people with problem-solving skills?
If you know anyone in the military, active duty or a veteran, it would be extremely insulting toward them to try and insinuate they were allowed in the service because they were of below-average intelligence.
Of course, if you already hate the military, nothing I write will change your opinion.