They recruit high schoolers without other options.
I worked in one of the worst high schools in the nation. There were recruiters in our cafeteria every day. They gave me periodic tables with National Guard branding (which you can be sure I used, because I only had 1000 prints a month, and 500 of those had to be on my own paper.)
Imagine - you aren’t going to be able to get into or afford college. Your dad is in jail. Your mom is working three jobs, none of which provide your family with health insurance. The places that are hiring are McDonald’s and Walmart.
The only people that you know in your community that have insurance and can afford a house - they are former military. You have already seen people go down extremely dark paths - you probably do know someone who joined a gang and you might have attended their funeral. Your pastor tells you that the military will teach you discipline and protect your from that fate.
There are other reasons too. The military is really the only route you have for college if you don’t have the financial resources.
I don’t think you imagine yourself killing people either. Most of what the military does isn’t directly related to combat.
They recruit high schoolers without other options.
I worked in one of the worst high schools in the nation. There were recruiters in our cafeteria every day. They gave me periodic tables with National Guard branding (which you can be sure I used, because I only had 1000 prints a month, and 500 of those had to be on my own paper.)
Imagine - you aren’t going to be able to get into or afford college. Your dad is in jail. Your mom is working three jobs, none of which provide your family with health insurance. The places that are hiring are McDonald’s and Walmart.
The only people that you know in your community that have insurance and can afford a house - they are former military. You have already seen people go down extremely dark paths - you probably do know someone who joined a gang and you might have attended their funeral. Your pastor tells you that the military will teach you discipline and protect your from that fate.
There are other reasons too. The military is really the only route you have for college if you don’t have the financial resources.
I don’t think you imagine yourself killing people either. Most of what the military does isn’t directly related to combat.
I think this video might be an interesting perspective too.