[Publib] Re: responses to military recruiters in high schools

[Andy Barnett]

The thing that amazes me is that kids (and their parents) rarely look 
beyond their first offer. Like buying a car at the first dealer you visit. 
Army/Navy/Air Force/Marines/Guard/Reserves offer very different 
experiences, but I see people locked in on the first contact they 
receive.  Enlist in the Army and odds that you be on the ground in a combat 
zone within six months are very good, especially if you don't have a high 
ASVAB score. Enlist in the Navy and you stand a better chance of getting 
some training/education that will translate into a civilian job, plus no 
one is likely to shoot at you. The Guard used to be for service in the US, 
but most Guard units have been deployed and many are headed back for a 
second tour.

If you want resources: PBS did a nice series on life on an aircraft carrier 
and there are a couple good DVDs on Guard units in Iraq and their 
experiences. These are not sugar coated and make a good antidote to 
recruiters - whose job it is to sugar coat. My Navy son turned down a 
chance to serve as a recruiter, though it can be soft duty and closer to home.



Andy Barnett, Asst. Director            McMillan Memorial Library
490 East Grand Ave. Wisconsin Rapids, WI  54494
                 www.mcmillanlibrary.org
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that 
matter.  -  Martin Luther King, Jr.