| I have no issue with the military in schools, although I do question some of the recruiting tactics. For example, one of the complaints of soldiers is the recuitment commericals and the half-truths they tell.
If you watch the commericals you get the impression that going into the army is some sort of happy adventure, kind of like camp or the Boy Scouts. Some of them remind me of Club-Med commericals. Others make some dubious claims. For example the teaching of 'skills'. Some of these skills are of little value in civilian value. I saw a documentary of a young sailor on an aircraft carrier, in the film he never stops cursing they day he signed up? Why? His 'skills' the recruiter promised him was cleaning the Ships Head and doing crew laundry. Im sure the brochure mentioned nothing about this.
The last issue are the risks. Recruiters do not mention the real possibilty of going into combat and having to kill or be killed. Also the possibility of suffering grivous wounds physical or mental or having other long term or permanent health problems. Fireman and Policeman are warned of the risks, heck, Haliburton Truck Drivers in Iraq are warned as well. But the recruiters tend to gloss the part over.
Young people are very impressionable, a Army Sales Pitch is going to have a greater effect on a 18 year old than a 30 year old.
A greater deal of honesty is all I ask... |