Military Recruiting Essay

544 Words3 Pages
Although military recruitment in American high schools is controversial, this is an important way for the military to reach young people to enlist. Not Meeting the Quota As more teens are going to college and not wanting to join the military, military recruiters are coming up short on their quotas they have to meet; either for the month or for the year. “Because of this, military recruiters are targeting the poor Black and Latino neighborhoods, were these kids do not have a wide range of options” (Ayers 87.8). Working as a recruiter isn’t that easy, you have to talk to people you’ve never met, talk to their parents on why the military would be good for them; sometimes it doesn’t end up well and you have to go onto the next. Military Denied Access to Teens Some schools believe that the military should not target teens in high school because they are too young and that they should try to go to college first. They say the military life is not well suited for young teens still in high school or fresh out of school. “Recruiters are targeting certain teens” (Ayers 87.8). The schools that military recruiters do have full access to teens are “offering higher bonuses and shortened tours of duty,” just so the teen can think about the military. (Ayers 87.8) Wealthy Kids Don’t Enlist The reason wealthy kids do not enlist is that they can afford to go to college and not have to worry about the military paying for it. “Researchers found that in March of 2005, military recruitment was short one-third of the quota” (Ayers 87.8). If wealthy teens and any other teens would join some branch of the military, it would make it so much easier for the recruiters to do their job. However, because only “25% of parents will recommend the military to their teens”, they do not enlist (Ayers 87.8). More Military Personnel Deserting The military has changed a lot over the years,
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