I don't see the issue when education hasn't been a point of emphasis nationwide in a long, long time - and the aptitude tests as well as medical demands shoot up as well.It suggests a level of desperation to a degree but the bigger issue is that there are a variety of things the military could do in order to attract young people and they're not doing it. No I don't think the military power is waning, I just think it's old men making bad decisions and not evolving.
The bigger thing to me is that graduating HS was often a barometer, barrier, or basic requirement for things. You want xyz? Finish HS. Removing that for anything is bad IMO. We don't need kids skipping HS to join the military.
The last two years in particular undoubtedly created huge issues in schools. Why wait on education boards to get their shyt together when you don't ask for SATs in the first place?