Oh I hope these silly hyperlinks work for this paper

Because of the unpopularity of the Iraqi War, the Army faces a severe shortage of recruits. A survey done in 2001 showed that 70% of young adults said that they would definitely not join the army. Who could blame them? In fact the army was so unpopular in 2005 that it missed its recruiting by 7,000 people.

The military’s solution to this problem? Spend more money on marketing. Within five years the marketing budget for the army nearly doubled. While in 1998, the military spent $2.99 million dollars on recruiting; in 2003, the army spent $5.92 million. The branch with the most aggressive plan is the army. In 2004, the army spent 200 million---an amount that totals $4,000 dollars per recruit.

The new expensive marketing plan strives to reach potential recruits where they are most vulnerable: at school and in the home.



First it targets the schools. Because of a clause in the No Child left Behind Act, schools are required give the military access to the schools or else risk losing federal funding. The No Child Left Behind Act requires that schools give out their student’s addresses and phone numbers to military recruiters unless a parent requests not to give out that information. Unfortunately, not too many parents are aware of that option or their rights. As a result, places like high schools are an ideal place for a recruiter.

The No Child Left Behind Act left the door wide open for a recruiter to participate in the schools. A recruiter may volunteer or interact with students in any of the following ways.

*Assistant Coach
* Chaperone for a school dance
* Referee in a sporting event
* Timekeeper in a sporting event
* Eating in the school cafeteria
* Leading boy scouts


Generally, recruiters look for students of influence such as the student government leaders, or popular students.

Another means of reaching the students is through Junior Reserve Training Corps (JRTC) classes. Offered at 1,555 high schools, these classes focus on target practice and discipline. These JRTC classes are especially appealing for poorer high schools because the classes are a new elective offered a bargain rate since the government is paying for a large portion of it.

Desperate for loyal supporters, the army now offers a class for even younger kids. The Pre-(JRTC) offers after school classes for middle scholars. Now even kids as young as eleven can join in the fun of marching with wooden guns and singing loud chants.

The military also reaches the students through tests like the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). Given as a career test for juniors and seniors, the army uses this information for smart advertising. With information about the student’s intelligence or interest, the army will have a better idea exactly how to market the army to each individual. Unfortunately, because the ASVAB is not spelled out, students and parents are completely unaware about how the test is connected with the army. For more information about how the army invades the public school systems see the article Who’s Next?


The second target of the military marketing brigade is the parents. Because many of the parents of today’s youth grew up during the Vietnam Era, many parents feel uneasy about war. Because of that, a new wave of army ads geared towards the parents is making their way to the television. In one ad a mother reads a letter about how the army changed her son into a man.

At at goarmy.com, an entire section of the website is devoted to the parents. The website acknowledges the parents fears, but boasts that with all the training from boot camp your child will be prepared for what’s ahead. The website uses testimonies from “everyday people.”