COUNTERING MILITARY RECRUITMENT
Articles: Military Recruiting: General
Interest in military on the rise
ROBERTA FUGATE, New Jersey Herald
February 12, 2007
Two-thirds of the high schools in Sussex County have seen an increase in
the percentage of graduating seniors listing the military as part of their
post-graduation plans.
This information is contained in the recently released New Jersey
Department of Education 2005-2006 School Report Cards.
Hopatcong High School Director of Guidance Caesar Bullock said he has no
specific answer for the increase.
"It is a personal choice and depends on the family history," Bullock said.
Hopatcong went from sending 1.1 percent of graduates to the military in
2005 to 2.6 percent in 2006.
Michele Grajewski, guidance director at High Point Regional High School in
Wantage, echoed Bullock's comments, pointing out that the military
recruiters meet with students at the high school the same as college
recruiters.
"Each student has his or her own reasons for choosing the military," she said.
At High Point, the percentage of graduates entering the military rose from
0.9 percent in 2004 to 4.1 percent in 2006, according to New Jersey
Department of Education.
Fawn Sanchez, commander of the Bear Mountain Army Recruiting Company, based
in Middletown, N.Y., said her company has enlisted 90 percent more high
school juniors and seniors than last fiscal year.
Sanchez said the rising cost of college tuition is one of the reasons for
the increase in the number of enlistments.
"This has caused many high school seniors to look elsewhere for a means to
pay for college," she said.
"The Army has also created many new programs which will prepare students
for college ... and enable them to have a specific plan for how they will
use the education benefits that they received upon enlistment," she said.
Other county schools showing a marked increase in the percentage of
graduates entering the military are Newton (1.2 percent in 2005 to 2.6
percent in 2006), Lenape Valley Region High School in Stanhope (0.5 percent
in 2005 to 3.5 percent in 2006) and Sussex County Technical School in
Sparta (0.9 percent in 2005 to 2.4 percent in 2006).
A high school senior is now eligible for nearly $73,000 in college costs as
part of the Montgomery GI Bill and the Army College Fund, based on the
length of enlistment.
Additional programs include the Concurrent Admissions Program, ConAP, a
partnership between the Army and participating colleges to encourage
enlisted soldiers to select a participating college and state their intent
to enroll. Colleges then provide guidelines about applying for admission
and the college maintains contact with the soldier during their enlistment.
In addition to the ConAP program, the Army is now allowing enlisted
soldiers the option to let their spouses to use the money from the
Montgomery GI Bill.
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