The Military Gets Desperate - Places Misleading Ads in Newspapers

The Military Gets Desperate - Places Misleading Ads in Newspapers
By Mike Rhodes

Military recruiters in California are getting desperate. They are now placing deceptive ads in newspapers, attempting to trick job hunters to join the military. Here are a few samples of their new classified ads:

From the Milpitas Post and Fresno Bee -
HEATING/A.C. TRAINEE. Paid OJ Training. Medical, Dental, Ed. Pkg. +. Good physical condition. Max age 34. Min. H.S. Grads. 1-800-345-6289.

Also in the Fresno Bee -
CHAPLAINS- Share your faith, provide guidance & spiritual leadership. Lead worship & Bible Studies. Relocation. Bens pkg. Call 800-345-6289

Or how about this one from the San Jose Mercury -
COMMUNICATION TECH On-the-job training while you earn $$. H.S. Grads to age 34. Call (800) 345-6289.

These are samples of classified advertisements that are appearing in newspapers throughout the state and all over the country. Why do they not say that the job is in the military? When you call the toll free number you are told all about how great this job is and then at the end of a long conversation you are given the hook - "oh yeah, you will need to join the Navy (Army, Air Force, or another branch of the military)." A recent google search for the toll free number turned up over 100 of these ads placed in newspapers all over the country. Why is the military resorting to this kind of deceptive advertising? One reason may be that the regular Army is 6 percent behind its year-to-date recruiting target, the Reserve is 10 percent behind, and the Guard is 26 percent short. The active-duty and reserve components have added 3,000 recruiters since last year and increased enlistment bonuses to try to lure new soldiers.

The military's recruiting advertising budget doubled from $300 million to nearly $600 million between 1998 and 2003. The overall recruiting budget last year approached $2 billion. As the war in Iraq drags on and recruitment quotas are not realized, the military has resorted to a back end draft with the "stop loss" program. In this program the military is refusing to allow personnel from leaving when the terms of their contract has been fulfilled. Now, they are trying to lure new recruits with deceptive advertising.

Don Friesen lives in Reedley, a small rural town in the Central San Joaquin Valley. Friesen is a member of the Reedley Peace Center and says that military recruiters are targeting students at the local high school. In a presentation following a vigil commemorating the second year of the US invasion of Iraq, Friesen talked about military recruiting tactics and how they seem to be focusing on the poor and predominately Latino students at Reedley High School. Here was a part of his presentation:

Recruiters like to talk about:

* The job training you receive
* Military helping to pay for your education
* The military gives you direction in life
* The military is the way to serve your country
* Being in the military is an adventure a chance to see the world

What recruiters don’t say:

* Two-thirds of recruits don't get any college money, according to the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors.
* Most people in the military do not have time to attend college while in the service.
* To qualify for college money recruits have to pay $100 per month for a year.
* The unemployment rate for veterans is three times higher than the national average.
* People who sign up with the Delayed Entry Program are told they can't change their minds, but getting out is as simple as writing a letter.
* The enlistment contract is for eight years.
* There are other ways to finance college, like federal financial aid, private scholarships, going to community college or joining AmeriCorps.

Lies recruiters tell

* "One of the most common lies told by recruiters is that it s easy to get out of the military if you change your mind. But once they arrive at training, the recruits are told there’s no exit, period
* "One of the most common lies told by recruiters is that it s easy to get out of the military if you change your mind. But once they arrive at training, the recruits are told there s no exit, period and if you try to leave, you’ll be court-martialed and serve ten years in the brig, you ll never be able to get a good job or a bank loan and this will follow you around like a felony conviction." HARPERS

Questions Recruiters Don't Want You to Ask

Job Skills?

* Why do veterans earn less than similar non-veterans?
* Why are veterans imprisoned more often? Most skills learned in the military are NOT easily transferred to civilian life.

Money for College?

* Why do 65% of recruits who pay the required $1200 into the Montgomery GI Bill never get a dime in return?

Discipline?
* How does getting yelled at and ordered around provide self-discipline?

Opportunity and Direction in life?
* The opportunity to be harassed? Discriminated against?
* Why do people of color represent 1/3 of all enlisted personnel but only 1/8 of the officers?
* Why are 1 out of every three homeless people veterans? Many combat veterans are haunted by their war-time experiences for the rest of their lives.

Adventure?
* Does dropping bombs on kids really sound like fun? How about killing or dying for oil?