Ask A Veteran: What Can I Tell A Young Person Who Wants To Enlist?

I may be mistaken but there seems to be a small disconnect in this article. The respondent appears to assume that the teacher wants to talk his kids out of enlisting. I didn't get that sense from the teacher's question. However, his advice to be cautious of the recruiter's intentions is spot on. They are going to be driven by their own agenda more than the applicant's. Still, recruiters would be foolish to entirely ignore the prospect's needs. They are, after all, negotiating a contract and if they do not arrive at a meeting of the minds, the new recruits may perform badly enough, complain enough, and even have the contract abrogated, thus reflecting poorly on the recruiter's performance ratings. Thus, in answer to the teacher's question, I suggest inviting veterans and active service personnel to talk to the whole class and answer their questions about their service. The true intent of the meeting can be hidden so that the guests don't feel compelled to hide their true responses for fear of interfering in the recruiting process. Lastly, for anyone concerned with getting rich, that's easy to answer. We don't/didn't serve to get rich, not in money, that's for sure...

I would tell them to look at the big picture when selecting occupations. An example would be: 88M. People read “Motor Transport Operator” and think ‘oh, I’ll be a truck driver and that’s it? I can’t bring that to the civilian world.’ You’re not going to write ‘I was a truck driver’ your resumé, are you? 88Ms are logisticians, they are managers, trainers, leaders- not to mention exposure to Microsoft Office; they are lots more than ‘truck drivers’ and do a lot more than driving. That’s the uphill climb recruiters face when talking to civilians about jobs because civilians read what the job is and they have that narrow picture in their head of what that job does- like an 88M driving a truck. One has to think of the skills these jobs bring to the table.

Before I enlisted I had no idea what I was going to encounter even though the recruiters divulged a few details about boot camp. However, I see that in the times we live in the best thing is to tell most kids these days is that the military does not conform to you, but that you conform to it. I struggled with this a little even as a Sargent before I left service because some of the rules didn't make sense or that they were archaic in a way. Although, they were there for a reason and the system worked the way it did. Most kids should be told what to expect and what is expected of them, even if it is going to sound harsh in their minds and some might get duped into something they are going to regret later (which I disapprove because that's how you get the wrong kinds of people in), but it is best to attract minds who have a possibility of handling it and living the life of a Soldier, Marine, Sailor, Airman, or Coast Guardsmen. I say this because I have seen way too many who really shouldn't have been in and especially in today's society on how people are even with in my generation.

I apologize if I sound like I am ranting as I am saying this from observance and experience and that I am getting off topic. What I would say to them is what are you looking for and what do you hope to accomplish? Have you done your research? Are you physically fit? This is not like the video games you may or may have not played (yes some kids believe that the military is like the video games with drones, robotic arms, dramatic stories ect ect). Either way that is my two cents and I hope I have been able to help.