Fast Times at Recruitment High

Like it or not, as long as we've got a country-thing, we're going to need a military-thing. And, the job of the military is to stand ready to defend the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic. Without a military, it's arguable that we would probably not remain a country for very long, because there are entities around the world that would like nothing more than to take a bite out of the United
States, for various reasons.

Military academies are prep schools, where officers learn how to be officers, and take charge of and assert authority and provide leadership for our armed services.
They also provide an opportunity for young people, who might not have such a great home environment, to have benefit of good tutelage and a semi-structured environment.

Military service is politically controversial, but arguably necessary. A good education, sans trappings of the military, is also arguably necessary, for the simple reason that if you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail, and there's not a military solution to every problem this country will face, nor is everyone outside our borders necessarily 'the enemy', hence it's important to equally promote and facilitate an educational environment that helps kids to gain the knowledge and skills they will need to be successful in the larger civilian world.

One topic of debate, though, is the extent and degree to which the military recruiters are now keeping tabs on kids, even before they leave high school. As we know, the military now has about a 1/2 trillion dollar annual budget. The military employs a lot of people, both in and out of uniform. Suffice it to say it's a big institution, and it's been on a growth spurt since 9/11, if not before. A growing institution needs more members, and public high schools where people don't have a lot of money to begin with are fertile grounds for producing new recruits. More grist for the mill, as it were.

But, what else is the military supposed to do? Without new recruits, eventually they'll have to put in handicapped tank parking or something, or just start shutting down military posts for lack of personnel, or the competition will grow and instead of a military, we'll have Blackwater.gov. Is that the future, total privatization of the military? 6-figure 'soldiers' with armored humvee limos carrying them to and fro, with their mobile satellite uplink and chilled wet bar? Maybe on Fantasy Island, but in this world, the call for able-bodied young men and women to join the service is constant, and frankly, there's worse things than serving a term of active duty service, like spending your twenties unemployed with no future and no education to help you build one. The 21st century world requires people to learn, to modernize, to be efficient, to know how to get a job done, to know how to use a computer, to be reliable, to try and achieve something, and the military can teach those willing to learn all these things, and more, and is therefore preferable to just existing in an environment where you can learn other things, like how to deal drugs, steal cars, live off a welfare check or by stealing, be in a gang, or become a lifelong drug user complaining about The Government and society. Which is better? Probably a hitch in the service, all things considered.

We don't have a draft in the United States, but some people feel that we should. 2,3,4 years in uniform gets you out of your old environment, introduces you to some new people, teaches you work skills, puts money in your pocket, frankly there's a lot worse things in life that can happen to you.

The military is not without its' risks. You could concievably end up in a foreign country, under arms, representing the United States, and getting shot at, blown up, run over by a tank, fall off the side of the ship etc. People get killed in the military. If that never happened, they wouldn't need guns, and you could call it something else, like the Peace Corps, or Larry's Laundry Service. Instead, they are given weapons, training in how to use them, and time and time again, our servicemembers prove they know how to use them and how to be team members and professional soldiers, airmen and so forth, and help people in other countries rid themselves of violent criminals, despots, tin-pot dictators and so forth and so on.

Now, to the negative side of the military. Do you want your son or daughter coming out of the military as a bald-headed nazi, or as a gang member(there's gangs in the military), or as a permanent ward of the state due to some exotic disability? Are there some kids that should not be put into the military environment to begin with, is the military honestly that wholesome of an environment for todays' young people, does the military have some chronic problems that need to be addressed, is there blatant evidence of corruption surrounding the armed forces? Several possible 'yes' and 'no' answers, there, details to be found in the daily paper. Military recruiters are given quotas, and take on the role of head-hunters, and they've even got computers and take detailed notes on people's kids without the parents' permission, and do other stuff that's ethically questionable and possibly even illegal. They even harass and harangue parents, misrepresent the facts about military service either intentionally or otherwise, and that's where it's important for high schools as well as parents and teachers to present kids with the blunt realities involved, so that any youngster signing a military contract knows exactly what's going on, with no ambiguity or 'grey areas' that haven't been covered. Because, ultimately, these young ladies and gentlemen might be getting aboard an airplane, and going to the next Vietnam, Panama, Iraq, Afghanistan, or wherever else in the world our military has to send people into harm's way. Also, by getting parents and educators involved, the military stands to gain from it by having such influence help to build a better organization overall, by improving oversight, by ensuring that kids with good grades also join the service, so it's not just a situation where kids with failing grades end up in uniform, but rather a quality institution capable of meeting whatever challenges get thrown at it. This is the 21st century, Interesting Times, better to have a high-quality military and not need it than need one, and not have it.

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