| Truth in Recruiting |
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Sgt. Abe- Check Every Line Before You Sign
Understanding the Enlistment Document Army Enlistment Form
Military Recruiting FAQIf you or someone you know is thinking about joining the U.S. military, here are some points to consider before you “sign on the dotted line.” Military enlistments are potentially unlimited in lengthThe box below cites “fine print” from the back of the first page of a military enlistment “contract.” It shows that, despite the stated length of enlistment (usually four years), recruits can be kept in the military indefinitely, or called back from the reserves many years later, especially as part of the “war on terror,” which has no foreseeable end. This is what’s been called the “back door draft.” Thousands have already been subjected to it. Recruiters typically neglect to mention these sections to potential enlistees.
Recruiters’ promises are often false, or not keptIn our GI counseling work, “My recruiter lied” is the most common complaint in our thousands of calls. The reasons recruiters often lie are not hard to find: they are under tremendous and relentless pressure to meet recruiting goals. During wartime, many young people and their families are uneasy about the risks of military service. Numerous journalistic reports have exposed recruiter misrepresentations. Several such reports, available on the internet, are listed below:
Military service does not pay off in future job earningsRecruiters promise training that will lead to better jobs in civilian life. But several careful studies show that veterans typically earn 12% to 15% less than those workers who do not go into the military. One reason for this discrepancy is that much military training is not useful in outside work. Another is the high proportion of veterans who experience PTSD and other problems that interfere with work. http://www.v-r-a.org/docs/DisAVets.htm#_edn12 The hazards of military service include more than just getting killed or woundedFor instance, less than 300 US soldiers were killed in the first Gulf War of 1991. But tens of thousands of Gulf War vets have reported chronic, debilitating physical and psychological disorders since serving in the Gulf. http://www.va.gov/pressrel/gwfs.htm Similar problems are already showing up in soldiers returning from the Iraq occupation: rates of major depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder are very high. Women in the military face a very high incidence of harassment and rapeRecent studies and notorious cases show, as one report put it, that “sexual assault on women in the military may be common, and that those attacks leave physical and emotional scars on the female veterans long after they've left the service.” Moreover, military higher-ups often ignore or cover up these crimes. http://www.gaymilitary.ucsb.edu/ResearchResources/PressClips/news10_31_99.htm Military life is very hard on familiesThe incidence of family abuse and violence in the military is three to five times higher than in the civilian population. A recent North Carolina study showed that children in military communities were twice as likely to be killed by their parents. These abuse patterns are intensified by the impact of a force stretched too thin in Iraq and elsewhere. Heyman & Neidig, Jrnl Consulting Clinical Psychology 1999 Delayed Enlistment ProgramPersons who sign up for Delayed Enlistment and change their minds CAN get out of the program, relatively easily. Recruiters will often LIE about this, falsely telling people they will be arrested, go to jail, or (if immigrants) get their families deported. If all else fails, DEP members can simply refuse to report for enlistment. More information at: http://girightshotline.org/discharges/dep/fact-sheet/index.shtml Benefits promised to veterans have been repeatedly cut, with more reductions on the way.http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A2153-2003Jun16?language=printer |