My friend's son left for basic training last week.

[femmedem]

My friend, of course, is devastated. She's been actively anti-war. She's an artist and a Unitarian. Her husband teaches ethics at a local college. This came as a complete shock--they had no idea he was even thinking of enlisting until it was a done deal.

All you DU'ers with military-age children: don't assume your children won't fall prey to the recruiters' B.S. You've got to really, really make sure they know that recruiters lie.

[Deja Q]

1. What lies do they say?

I haven't kept up with the media lately...

[femmedem]

2. They guarantee that you'll get a safe job.

That you won't see combat. They'll even put it in writing. But they never say that in the contract, in tiny writing, it says that the government can void any part of the contract it wants without penalty.

[manic expression]

4. The food is great!

:rofl:

[Catch22Dem]

7. The kids joining should do a little research too though

They're entering into a 4-year, binding contract. I knew what I was getting into when I joined and it ended up being some of the best 8 years of my life. At 18 you should be able to get into something like that without blaming everyone under the sun that you were "tricked" or whatever.

[FtWayneBlue]

3. Yep.

My wife's daughter went to boot camp last week as well. She is certain that her recruiter wouldn't lie to her. Yeah, right! She is supposed to be going to California for a year's worth of language training after boot. We will see, won't we?

Meanwhile, my wife, who hasn't been as active in the anti-war movement as me (she says one fanatic in the family is enough) now cannot stand to hear any of my anti-war rants, or music even, although she did write a pretty strongly worded letter to the editor that was printed in the News-Sentinel. There are times now when she is nearly a basket case. I shudder to think what will happen if my stepdaughter is deployed after boot rather than getting her language training.

[femmedem]

6. I'm so sorry to hear that. I cannot imagine fearing for my child's safety every day.

Your stepdaughter must be very smart, albeit too trusting of the recruiters. My sister went to that language school. Very few people qualify.

I hope she'll come out with such valuable skills that the army will keep her safe.

[Catch22Dem]

8. It's actually one of the hardest schools and has a high dropout rate

Ours was a highly technical field, a very hard school to get into, and we got a lot of the language school washouts, if that tells you anything. I knew these two really bright girls who were Arabic washouts who said they couldn't handle the total immersion technique. I guess you learn a little then they basically cut-off anything western and immerse you in total Arabic culture to see how well you can adapt knowing what little you know. Sounded kinda cool to me, but this was during peacetime, ya know. I wonder if they still do that.

[femmedem]

9. It's been a couple of decades since my sister went through it.

So I'm afraid I can't give you any up-to-date info. And it was also during peacetime. She said she mainly listened to Russians tell dirty jokes in their submarines.

[FtWayneBlue]

12. Yes, she is bright,

but altogether too trusting of the establishment. I think my wife will need meds or a rubber room if her daughter gets deployed. She can't put her energy into active dissent of the war without it consuming her, I believe, which is why I think she mostly tries to ignore it.

[haymark]

5. Oh no

Parents need to take better care of the kiddies. They need to pay attention to their friends and activities. Kids need to get their religious education from their parents or their surgates. Parents do your duty or this could be you.

[doublethink]

10. Before You Enlist (14 min video)

pass it on ..... http://youtube.com/watch?v=6fkkdoDOIJM

[Vexatious Ape]

11. That's a great reminder

Kids will rebel against their parents and if the parents are anti-war liberals, it's not to surprising they would do what hurts mom and dad the most. I'd make sure he doesn't pass the piss test.

[1620rock]

13. Kids at that age think they are immortal. n/t