With combat operations in Iraq at an end and the U.S. presence in Afghanistan winding down, a lot of soldiers are marching home. These cutbacks, which began last year, have consequences.

The active-duty Army is slashing its forces from 570,000 at the height of the Iraq war to a planned 490,000 in 2017. At the end of March, the Army was down to fewer than 558,000 troops.

The Army also is much more selective in recruiting. At the height of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, recruits with records of misdemeanors and even felonies were accepted. Last year, the Army took no recruits with misconduct convictions or drug or alcohol issues. Some soldiers now on active duty will be asked to leave because of the higher standards.

A leaner Army won't harm national security. But it is fair to conclude that some well-behaved kids who have dreamed of being in the Army may not get the chance to serve. And kids with troubled pasts will not be able to redeem themselves in its disciplined environment.

It is good that a decade of war is ending, that the Army is raising its standards, and that it is saving money in an era of soaring deficits. Yet as Johnny and Jane comes marching home today, when jobs are still few, an asterisk must be added to some of the hurrahs they may hear on their arrival.

First Published May 31, 2012, 4:00 a.m.