COUNTERING MILITARY RECRUITMENT
Articles: Counter-Recruitment: General
Promises, Promises
Scott Key, rethinkingschools.org
Spring 2006
Over
the past year I've spent time with high school students, and I've been
disturbed by the number of them who believe the promises of military
recruiters. According to the Govern-ment Accountability Office (GAO),
the military spends more than $3 billion a year on slick ads and
polished recruiters who tell students that the military is their best
option for obtaining jobs with benefits and money for college.
As the war in Iraq continues and recruitment lags, high schools have
become important military recruiting grounds. The No Child Left Behind
(NCLB) act requires that public secondary schools provide the military
access to students. To maximize this new access, the military has added
recruiters to target students with fabulous promises to convince young
people to enlist. Students are faced with one of the most important
decisions in their lives — what to do after high school.
Parents, counselors, and teachers play key roles as advisors and
confidants. It is vital that students receive fuller information
regarding military service and alternatives open to them. Good choices
require more information. What should be included in this information?
1. Promises do not need to be fulfilled. Recruiters promise cash
bonuses, good salaries and benefits, job training, and money for
college. Some recruiters go further, promising enlistees excitement and
travel, choice of jobs and locations, and anything else to convince
someone to sign up. There are cases where recruiters promise enlistees
that they will not have to go to Iraq. "Recruiters lie about college
benefits, duty station assignments, veterans' benefits, and countless
other aspects of the military in order to convince their clients to
sign," said a former Marine recruiter in an article at
www.objectors.org.
Students need to understand that the promises, whether well-intended or
lies, do not have to be met. The Enlistment/Reenlistment Contract is a
four-page document that students and parents need to read carefully
(www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/19_03/military_enlistment.pdf). The
front of the document lists all the promises, but the finer print says:
"Laws and regulations that govern military personnel may change without
notice to me. Such changes may affect my status, pay, allowances,
benefits, and responsibilities as a member of the Armed Forces
REGARDLESS of the provisions of this enlistment/reenlistment document"
(DD Form 4/1, 1998, Section 9b). This means that the military can
legally renege on its promises and do whatever it wants with an
enlistee.
2. The promises of cash bonuses. All branches of the military have
increased the sizes of cash bonuses. The size of the cash bonus varies
depending on branch of the armed forces and job placement. Still the
bonuses can seem very large to many potential enlistees. It is
important to keep in mind that taxes will be taken out of these
bonuses. Of course, many recruiters fail to mention this and many
enlistees are surprised when their bonuses are one-third smaller than
they anticipated.
3. The promises that good jobs and job training will make the
transition to civilian life easier. It is crucial to remember the words
of Vice President Dick Cheney: "The reason to have a military is to
fight and win wars. The military is not a social welfare agency. It is
not a jobs program." While there appears to be some crossover between
military and civilian jobs — like nursing, mechanics, and
electronics — military training is specialized and the skills do
not translate easily into many civilian jobs. Beyond this, some of the
occupational specialties have been outsourced to private contractors in
recent years, which means that these jobs are difficult for service
members to obtain.
Research exposes these false promises. According to an article in
The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, veterans averaged only
1.78 months of training in 31 months of active duty. Stephen Barley, a
labor policy specialist, found that the average recent veteran will
earn between 11 percent and 19 percent less than non-veterans from
comparable socioeconomic backgrounds. The Department of Labor estimates
that the current unemployment rate for young veterans (ages 20-24) is
more than 15 percent, nearly twice the national rate for this age
group. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (2002) reported that some
veterans experienced higher rates of unemployment than the general
population: white males, 9.4 percent; African-American males, 17
percent; Latinas, 21.6 percent; and African-American females, 24
percent. And, according to Veteran Affairs and the Urban Institute,
veterans make up 23 percent (33 percent of males) of the homeless
population. This means that 200,000 to 300,000 veterans are homeless on
any given night.
Limited training, reduced post-service earnings, higher unemployment,
and possible homelessness support Barley's conclusion that "all else
being equal, young people should look to sources of training other than
the military if they wish to optimize their careers." Instead, students
need to learn about alternatives that provide real job training. There
are many options for students, including apprenticeship programs (in
California, www.calapprenticeship.org), Job Corps
(jobcorps.doleta.gov), and Regional Opportunity Programs
(www.ropcenter.org). There are thousands of opportunities to enter the
workforce, be paid a salary, and receive training.
4. The promise of money for college. The TV ads promise $30,000,
$50,000, or $70,000 for college. Recruiters lure students into
enlisting with the same promises. Seldom are the restrictions
explained. Sometimes this amount includes the enlistee's pay for four
to six years of service. It may include repayment of existing loans.
Only a few enlistees qualify for the largest amounts, but all must
"invest" $100 per month for 12 months and be granted an honorable
discharge (which disqualifies about 20 percent of veterans). To receive
the promised bonanza, enlistees must be placed in specialized positions
and serve in high-risk combat zones. With these and other stipulations,
the average payout to enlistees is much smaller than promised. In fact,
according to an article in America's Military Today, only 35 percent of
veterans receive GI Bill funds and only 15 percent ever receive a
college degree. Even if a veteran qualifies, there is no guarantee that
funds will be available; the Bush administration continues to cut
veterans' benefits, according to Veterans for Peace.
Even though money for college is scarce, students need to learn that
there are non-military alternatives to help pay for college. Each state
has its own student grant and loan programs. There are federal grants
(e.g., Pell Grants) and loans (e.g., Perkins and Stafford Loans). There
are work-study programs. Most colleges have institutional financial
aid. And there are thousands of scholarships, grants, and bursaries
available throughout the country. While only 35 percent of veterans
receive funding, 70 percent of applicants receive civilian financial
aid, according to the Support Network for an Armed Forces Union.
5. The promise that the enlistee's commitment is only four years.
Students need to be aware that first-time enlistees must serve a total
of eight years — four years active duty and four years reserve
duty. More troubling, most recruiters do not disclose that an
individual's active duty can be extended without notice. President Bush
authorized various "stop-loss" measures, and individuals who served
their full eight years have been given new discharge dates as far into
the future as December 24, 2031. There is no guaranteed "exit" date for
enlistees.
The military's need for new enlistees is urgent. While some of the
recruitment budget has been spent on increasing the military's profile
in our communities through the media, the major thrust has been to
increase the number of military recruiters. While media advertising may
pique interest, the "selling" of the military is still entrusted to
thousands of military recruiters who build on the ads to portray
enlistment as a desirable choice for the future. They downplay the
danger and possibilities of injury or death. Instead, recruiters entice
enlistees with promises of money for college and job training. Some
recruiters may make promises in good faith, but as is well documented,
others simply lie. Military recruiters can say anything and promise
anything because they are not held accountable for their promises. Once
someone has signed an enlistment contract and reported for duty, there
is little recourse. Students need to understand that the Enlistment
Contract is not a regular employment contract. If they enlist, they
cannot quit. Enlistees give up their constitutional rights and live
under different rules and laws. The military can change enlistees'
jobs, pay, or benefits without notice.
More military recruiters have been dispatched to high schools, shopping
malls, community events, and wherever young people gather. This
full-court press is one-sided. Every person deserves the opportunity to
make a well-informed decision about military enlistment. Once the myths
have been exposed and missing information given, students can make
better decisions about their futures.
Scott Key (scott.key@fpu.edu) is a faculty member at Fresno Pacific
University. He is part of the Central Valley Counter Recruitment
Coalition and Peace Fresno.
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