In the past few years, the army has gained a tighter hold and influence upon young men and women graduating from high schools throughout the United States. The recent war in Afghanistan and the current war in Iraq have increased the demands for new recruits to maintain military stabilization. To do this, the Federal Government has dispatched army recruiters to countless public high schools across the country.

Army representatives are supposed to act as an informational post in educating people about volunteer opportunities in the military. Instead, some army recruiters aggressively persuade people to join the military. The army glorifies war and makes the image of the military a glamorous experience. For example, the display of Humvees and the landing of a helicopter attracted curious students last spring. The Army also targets people in our society with the least financial resources. The army tends to pursue young adolescent men. It uses various forms of propaganda to attract students. For instance, the temporary climbing wall displayed in the gym last fall could be viewed as a marketing tool in showing a fun, yet strenuous, challenge. Students have tried and participated in physical events in addition to touring army vehicles and equipment. Curiosity is sometimes the leading factor that gives people second thoughts or opinions about an issue. Boys often try to prove their toughness in manhood. And the army takes advantage of the impressionable students.

The Army portrays a false image of military work. It is presented as easy and enjoyable labor. Young men are trying to prove themselves. A psychological need of many adolescents is to prove themselves. The Army preys upon this psychological stage. Men will take risks because of their naivety. The federal government doesn’t advertise non-military jobs in high schools such as the environmental protection agency, and other groups where the purpose is to improve humanity and its environment. In the military, however, lives are always put at stake during wartime. Through advertisements and marketing ploys occurring at public high schools, there is an element of deception at work. People are tricked into signing up for a potentially life threatening job. Hopefully in the near future students will recognize this subtle trickery and make wise decisions in job pursuits.