| Date | October 1966 – December 1971 |
|---|---|
| Location | United States |
| Also known as | McNamara's Morons |
| Type | Disability draft |
| Cause | Vietnam War |
| Organised by | United States Department of Defense |
| Mobilization plan | To recruit people below military, mental or medical standards into the United States Armed Forces |
| Number mobilized | 320,000 – 354,000 |
Project 100,000, also known as McNamara's 100,000, McNamara's Folly, McNamara's Morons, and McNamara's Misfits,[1][2] was a controversial 1960s program by the United States Department of Defense (DoD) to recruit soldiers who would previously have been below military mental or medical standards. Project 100,000 was initiated by Defense Secretary Robert McNamara in October 1966 to meet the escalating workforce requirements of the U.S. government's involvement in the Vietnam War. According to Hamilton Gregory, author of the book McNamara's Folly: The Use of Low-IQ Troops in the Vietnam War, inductees of the project died at three times the rate[1] of other Americans serving in Vietnam and following their service had lower incomes and higher rates of divorce than their non-veteran counterparts. The project was ended in December 1971.[3]