I came to GHS in 2010, but I remember quickly growing accustomed to seeing the military recruiters. They’ve always been here, telling students why they should enlist in the military. Without even needing to talk directly to them, I soon knew almost everything there was to know about military enlistment–or so I thought.

This year, in my global class, two speakers from Iraq Veterans Against the War came and spoke about the other side of military enlistment. They brought up points like the fact that recruiters don’t have students’ best interests in mind; they have a quota to meet, and they’re, for lack of a better term, “salesmen” for the military. The speakers explained there are loopholes in the military contract that can keep authorities from treating soldiers, especially unqualified soldiers straight out of highschool, fairly. They also brought up that, out of all of the training you receive in the military, (medical, technology, etc.,) only a small percent actually transfers into the business world. This seemed important for people who want to enlist to benefit their career. For me, this was all new information. I wish more students knew this side before enlisting.

Another thing I learned is, because GHS has federal funding, recruiters can come in at anytime, without needing permission. Also, they have easy access to students’ emails, phone-numbers, and social media. But personally, I believe the other side of the story’s not being heard. It seems unfair that days must be set aside for presentations, in order to inform students on the cons of enlisting. Here, it is not required that both sides be heard. This has the potential to lead young students to make uninformed decisions that can go on to affect the rest of their lives.

Laurel Strobel

Senior