Rule and requirements get thrown out the window during war time.

My grandfather dropped out of school in the 10th grade, joined the Navy prior to WW2 as enlisted. When WW2 took off, and the Navy needed pilots, they offered a special war time program to my grandfather where they would send him to flight school and when he graduated he would be an officer.

He gladly accepted it and served in WW2, Korea, and Vietnam as a Navy pilot....this is someone with a 10th grade formal education.

The military will accept the rejects and they'll be used for fodder or some mundane jobs like latrine duty or KP.