Recruiters’ have focused on informing students of the various opportunities the Armed Forces have to offer.They also help the faculty and the community out as well. Military recruiters presence should not be feared in high schools but welcomed and appreciated if we are to keep the Armed Forces an “all volunteer” service. Military Recruiters in High Schools What must it take to keep an “all volunteer” military? It is common knowledge that in the history of the United States conflicts, the armed forces have involuntarily drafted their soldiers in support to defend this country. In today’s society, this is not the case.
It is the primary responsibility of military recruiters to provide the strength of the military. The primary focus for military recruiting efforts is high school seniors. It is the military’s belief that these young adults will stay in the military and grow from being ignorant Privates to strong mature Sergeant Majors within 20 years of serving their country. As a military recruiter, it is extremely difficult to penetrate this market because of many factors. These obstacles range from the school itself to the parents of the students.In order to maintain an all volunteer force, it is essential that the military not only have free reign in the schools but also have the support of both the schools and parents.
When it comes to the military on school campuses recruiting potential young adults, parents feel that their children are being pressured and harassed. The target students range from ages 16 to 19 years old and parents feel that at this time in their life, they are too young to make any life changing decisions.Parents’ main focus is for their child to go to college after high school and become lawyers, doctors, or something highly prestigious. As recruiters call students in the public schools while they are at home eating dinner with their families, it can definitely be perceived as if they are actually being harassed. However, in 2002, the bill “No Child Left Behind Act of 2001” was passed and requires high schools to provide students names, addresses and telephone listings to local military recruiters (Department of Education, 2002). Is this an invasion of privacy?To most Americans, it is very much a privacy issue.
Therefore, the military recruiter is labeled a “predator” and only has one goal in mind, the contract. The most common fear of the parents and students is that they will be killed on deployments to Iraq or Afghanistan. However, the death toll as of 30 November 2010 is 4,433 US troops killed in action (White 2011). Not that we should quantify life, but considering how many soldiers that have been deployed, this is a low number. Being soldiers first, recruiters understand the fears the parents have for their child.
Schools themselves can be an obstacle as well. It is the perception that the military is only for youth with criminal backgrounds and those with no direction in life. This is far from the truth. As the military becomes more technical each day, the goal for the recruiters is to project this plan as a stepping stone to make one more marketable once individuals end their career.
In order to accomplish the mission of the military, a recruiter must show his/her face in the schools as much as possible. This is the most effective and efficient way to talk to high school students.After all, if the recruiter can contact all of the target market this soldier is well on their way to being successful. If utilized properly, this way of prospecting can be advantageous to both the schools and the recruiter. For example, if a teacher is behind in grading papers or just needs a break, a recruiter can take over the class for the day. In doing this, the recruiter would show the upperclassmen different programs and opportunities the military has to offer.
In order to get one interested, it is essential to get as much information out to catch the target audience’s interest.For the high school student, their interest has to do with excitement, education and money. A primary advantage of joining the uniformed services is education benefits. If explained properly, this will encourage young men and women to at least look deeper into this option.
Another reason why recruiters need to be in schools is to provide a positive image to civilian society. The majority of Americans do not live near a military base or post. Therefore opinions and assumptions about the Armed Forces are made based upon the media and experiences from former service members.Although these sources of information can be positive, they tend to be more subjective rather than fact based. When seeing a service member acting professional rather than rambunctious and unruly, it helps to overcome the objection of the military being only for individuals that are uneducated and immature.
In conjunction with portraying a positive image, a recruiter’s personality will come across to students with being a role model as well. The majority of young men and women join the military because they want to be just like their recruiter.Even though this is not ideal for some cases, for others it can be. Some students do not have a real role model to look up to; therefore as a non commissioned officer, it is the recruiter’s responsibility to mentor those he/she recruits. As a result of the previously stated points, a successful penetration of the high school market eventually will overturn the negative portrayal of the military.
In doing this, it will make the recruiters job a little less strenuous. In conclusion, it is essential for the military to work hand and hand with both the schools and the community.The “all volunteer force” particularly depends on how successful a recruiter is within its target market which is the high school. Unfortunately, the prior practices and assumptions of recruiters will forever be the stereotype of most Americans.
However, if this issue is ever going to be resolved, it is vital that the recruiters are in schools in order to give out the information that the military has to offer. If this is accomplished, the positive portrayal of the armed forces can be seen by both the schools and the students. In achieving this goal, there will never be rumors of there ever being a draft again.
