Are we making sure Soldiers are setting realistic goals?

Halo, Ranger, Combat Dive School, Airborne, all look sexy in the trifold glossy brochure. Unless you have someone motivated to be a mechanic, H8 wrecker operator because they enjoy that type of work and challenges, it's a hard sell. Or appealing to the people who secretly want an office job like a 42A. The trifold glossy brochure of the Chemo, S1 and S4 finalizing USR slides won't sell. The CSA and SMA are even noticing it, that is why they have started a video campaign to shine a light on all 200+ MOSs. The Army advertising has lots of visual candy but is light what we actually do. The most positive thing in the last decade has been the background music in the add. Makes me want to run up the ramp of a CH47 or go kick in doors.

I think the rest of the Army gets sold short. You never see the tell-all book or movie written about the Maintenance Control Supervisor executing the heroic plan to make up 90 days of services backlog in spite of an indifferent chain of command. Or the E3 that goes to SLing Load Certification and rigs a hard to rig item like a mod for a Meerkat that saves the day for a marooned RCP in RC East. The tens of thousands of soldiers deployed to OEF, OIR, OIF, OND, and other operations were conventional soldiers doing their best to support the mission where they were assigned. It's not to say the unconventional forces werent fighting way above their weight, because they were. But even special guys need food, water, fuel, air drops for resupply, maintenance, recovery, wills, pay inquiries, and all the other mundane stuff everyone else needs. Or conventional combat arms units running seemingly endless patrols generating Intel that result in that one great door kicking raid. . It's about everyone there working together to accomplish the mission.

So the kids gravitate to trying to be a ranger seal sniper level 12 illusionist with psyonic ability when they are unlikely to make the cut, where as they could push themselves and be a good soldier. It's all they've ever heard about and then when reality sets in, the 94H TMDE guy is a let down when it really shouldn't be. Not to say these hooah schools aren't needed or don't enhance the capability of the force, because they are needed and they do enhance the force. Just saying that the worth of the regular Army soldier seems to have been lost in the shuffle and seems to have been made less.

They need become grounded in the military first.

You have touched on something that's been challenging for many years. I am a prior service Marine and I went to Parris Island in 1993 to earn that title. I liked the way the Marines sold themselves because it wasn't about the high speed MOS's or the glory of battle rather it was about becoming a Marine. When I earned that title, it was a very special occasion in my life one that I often reflect on. I left the Marines and joined the National Guard and boy what a culture shock - and not a good one. What does the Army have other than high speed MOS's and the glory behind becoming a Green Beret, Ranger, SF, etc? From what I've seen, not much. I think the newer recruiting videos coming out are starting to show that but in reality, the Army does a terrible job at selling themselves. I think it starts with the recruiters wearing ACU's instead of variants of the ASU's. Show people the Army has more to offer than the glorified MOS's they continue showcasing.
As far as sending younger soldiers to SF and Ranger school - bad idea! They need to become soldiers first and understand what's expected of them before jumping into something like that. They often lack maturity and honestly do not know or understand how to be soldiers. I actually use the SMART method when talking about my NCO's and help them achieve what they want from the Army. They in turn use it on our soldiers and the impact has been very positive. It helps lay the groundwork for their expectations and it keeps them grounded by not setting to high of a goal they cannot meet.