By: Steven Kwan

Should military recruiters be allowed to come to our school? Some may argue that it is unethical to allow recruiters to convince young men and women to join the service by going into high schools, others may say it is an honor to serve your country. I believe that joining the military should be a choice, and that it is unethical for recruiters to convince young men and women to join while they are still in high school.

Ever since 9/11, recruiting has been on the rise. Since 2001, all five branches of the military have either met their recruitment standards or have exceeded that amount. Except in 2005 when recruitment standards fell short by 18 percent. Most men and women wanting to serve in the military range from ages 16-21, with the majority being men.

It is a no brainer that joining the military has its benefits:  free college tuition, housing, food, and pay. But on the flipside you have your life in danger, and you have a lot of responsibility and regulations you must follow.

I personally think recruiters should not be allowed to enter our schools. Joining the armed forces should be a privilege, not something you are pressured into. While not all recruiters lie, a lot of them may be tempted due to the signing bonus they receive for each individual they recruit. All in all, I think people should do their research and think before they make a big decision.

Citations

Powers, Rod. “Top 10 Lies (Some) Military Recruiters Tell Applicants.” About. About.com, n.d.

Web. 09 Nov. 2014.

Lush, Tamara. “9/11 Inspired Many Young Americans to Enlist in Military.”The Seattle Times.

Seattletimes.com, 04 Sept. 2011. Web. 09 Nov. 2014.