Counter Recruitment Movement

I ran across websites for several counter recruitment movements. The American Friends Service Committee is typical and one of the better sites. Their good advice is that anyone considering joining the military should carefully consider the decision. The AFSC, better than others, still goes off the deep end. Allowing recruiters into schools is somehow
militarizing our schools. They seem to want to place joining the military on the same level as joining McDonalds. The things for a young person to consider are in the forms of whines: "You can't quit when you want to" "You might be sent to war" "They can make you work long hours" "many people join the Guard and Reserves expecting only to serve their state and discover that they can be sent off ot war ad nauseum


Some of this is frankly a
well, duh Joining the military is not like any other job. It is a commitment. Your drill sergeant will not talk nice to you, tuck you in and make sure that you have milk and cookies each night. Your platoon sergeant will demand that you do certain things to standard. Training is hard, it often takes long hours. The military is a very disciplined environment and is very demanding. It is not for everyone, but, frankly, some time in the service would benefit almost everyone. Yes, golly gee, they might send you to war. Last time I looked, that was the purpose of the military and that is what your training is for. If you join the Guard or Reserves, you are joining to be part of the military effort. Hopefully, your unit will not be activated, but when you join, there is always the possibility that it will.

That is why the unit exists

These groups want to make the military seem bad because it is not like other jobs. I've even hear the phrase "other consumer choices" being used. Since when is a job a "consumer choice?" Are we consumers of jobs the same way we are consumers of milk and soft drinks?

The military option should always be the option of last resort. However, just wanting the peaceful solution and allowing the really bad people to know that, no matter what, we will pursue only that option is an outright guarantee that, eventually, we will be forced to use the military. We need, and will continue to need, a strong, well-trained military. It is my hope that the we continue to have high enlistment rates. Those that choose to serve do things well that those who do not choose to serve can't even imagine.