Before you talk to a recruiter THINK ABOUT these things….
- You may be ordered to do things that you don’t think are right. You may be ordered to destroy someone’s home. You may be ordered to kill people. How will this make you feel?
- A recruiter is simply a salesman. He or she has to sign up a certain number of recruits each month.
- Recruiters don’t have to keep any of the promises they make.
- A recruiter might ask you to lie about your health, your education, your drug use , your arrest record. If you lie it’s most likely that only you will get in trouble. Don’t ever lie to a recruiter. Don’t lie on any documents.
- This decision will affect your whole life - and the lives of many others, beginning with your family and your friends. Take time before making any decision or signing any papers. Don’t talk to a recruiter when you are upset or when you have suffered a loss.
Before you talk to a recruiter DO these things….
-Talk to your parents or to a trusted adult about this. Listen to what they say.
-Talk to your good friends. Listen.
-Look at the video Before You Enlist at www.youth4peace.org
- Talk to as many veterans as you can before you talk to a recruiter. Check out www.ivaw.net (Iraq Veterans Against the War) or www.veteransforpeace.org (Veterans for Peace) Only a veteran who is not trying to recruit you will tell you what war is really like.
Read one of the following brochures:
”The Military is Not Just a Job…It’s Eight Years of Your Life” http://www.projectyano.org/pdf/NOTJSTJ_B-WHITE_4-06.pdf
http://www.projectyano.org/pdf/NOTJOBSPAN_B-W_4-05B.pdf
“Do You Know Enough to Enlist”
http://www.afsc.org/youthmil/thinking-of-enlisting/Do-you-know-enough-to-enlist.htm
Ten Points to Consider Before You Sign a Military Enlistment Agreement
http://www.afsc.org/youthmil/resources/10pts-english.pdf
http://www.afsc.org/youthmil/resources/10pts-spanish.pdf
Does the military look good to you? Here are some facts:
-The Military Enlistment/Re-Enlistment document is binding on YOU, not on the U.S. government. Section 9 of this document says: “THE LAWS AND REGULATIONS THAT GOVERN MILITARY PERSONNEL MAY CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE TO ME.” Thousands of soldiers who have served their time in Iraq have been “stop-lossed”, or sent back to Iraq and Afghanistan.
-Two-thirds of all recruits never get college funding. Every recruit “contributes “$!,200 of their first year’s pay to this education fund. And it’s only after you leave the military that you find out whether you’ve met all the requirements to receive this money.
-When you enlist you become military property. You can’t quit. You lose much of your right to free speech.You lose the right to come and go freely. You lose the right to dress the way you want. You can be punished by your command without any trial or any jury.
-Most military training is useful only in the military. Only 12% of male veterans and 6%of female veterans made any use of their military training in civilian life.
This information comes from a survey paid for by the military. (Magnum and Ball, Ohio State researchers).
-Veterans earn less than non-veterans when they come home. (Bryant and Wilhite, 1990) One-third of homeless people are veterans.
-There is racism in the military. 65% of active duty personnel said they have experienced racially offensive behavior. In 2002, 38% of enlisted personnel were people of color but only 17.5% were officers. 14.2% of the Marine Corps. are Latinos - but only 5.5% are officers.
-30% of women in the military report being victims of rape. 75% of women in the military report being the victims of sexual harrassment.
-You will most likely be ordered to kill others. You may be killed yourself. Over 4,000 soldiers have died since 2003.
If you decide to talk to a recruiter bring a trusted friend or family member. Don’t sign any papers before you take them home and look at them again.