So I visited a Military recruiter...

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>Over the last year or so, I have been sort of considering joining the military (Marines, specifically). My friend is pretty certain that he's joining and he invited me to go to a recruiting office after the SAT, and I didn't have anything else to do, so I decided just to see what it was like. I was considering maybe joining (at least doing NROTC), but after the visit, I'm staying clear away from any type of military. Maybe a I just had a bad recruiter, but I'll give you the short version of what happened.</p>

<p>So me and my friend arrive to this hole in the wall office covered with motivational posters (You think your Math teacher is tough!?, etc.), where we are greeted by two recruiters. They have us take a practice test (and I'm a bit skeptikal as I just got out of the SAT) in this back room on a computer (it's a practice ASVAB). </p>

<p>I don't know if the military is full of retards, or that's who they're trying to recruit, but it was the easiest test I took in my life. Let me just give you an example of a few of the questsions:</p>

<p>"Small is most similar to:</p>

<p>a) Little
b) Large
c) Rotund
d) Loud
e) Enduring"</p>

<p>And that was one of the harder ones. The math was just as easy.</p>

<p>"3x = 21, what is x?"</p>

<p>But that's not even the worst part. This is an official military test (at least that's what it said). In the reading section, it was laden with it's as the possesive of its (example: it's questions were retarded, should be its questions were retarded). It's an official test and they can't even get their grammar right? I'm no grammar nazi, but god dam. I'm actually surprised that I got one of the questions wrong (out of like fifty), but it was still a near perfect score (believe me, a nine year old could get a perfect score on this).</p>

<p>So they seperate my friend and me to seperate recruiters, each to talk about what we want from the Marines. I didn't really know what to say (and at this point I was pretty much against it), but the worst was yet to come. </p>

<p>I tell him that I'm planning to go to college, but he says the Marines can cover that. Oh yes, they'll cover my tuition ("you don't want finicial aid, dawg, that **** doesn't work"). He shows me the list of schools they'll pay for, and it's full of community colleges (nothing against them, but not what I'm looking for). I tell him that I'm looking at Berkeley, and he says that the schools on the list are better (uhh...okay?). </p>

<p>Then he tells me that he was just like me, sitting on my ass not doing anything (uhh...thanks?), and that I should do something with my life and the Marines will allow me to do. So for the next hour he goes through this whole booklet showing me things trying to convince me that I want to join the Marines. He shows me some famous marines, and tells me that Walt Disney was a Marine (even though I could clearly see it wasn't Walt Disney, but Walter something), and then changes the subject to correct his mistake.</p>

<p>After talking for an hour (actually, he did all the talking, and he never broke eye-contact, I may add), he gives his final motivational speech. I'll try to make it as accurate as possible.</p>

<p>"Yo dawg, you don't want to be where you are right now five years from now. You got to be one of those mother*<strong><em>ers that stands up works for it. You don't want to be on the block with the same niggas doing the same ol' </em></strong>. You got to be a ***ing Marine, dawg."</p>

<p>I kid you not, for the whole hour he was using this kind of language. I don't mind that he was calling me a n--ga, but I'm white...so what's up with that? The guy was like forty too, and not professional at all. Also, I was clearly not a **** up (he saw my score, and I told him I was college-bound), so it was really condescending (maybe that's what being a Marine is about, though).</p>

<p>So it comes time for them to take my information (after they try to get me to sign up, I kid you not) and I give a phony phone number because I don't want them calling me. The only problem is I gave them my address, so they'll probably send me loads of mail. The guy also asks me survey questions and is shocked that I haven't expieremented with marijuana.</p>

<p>"When's the last time you smoked marijuana?
I haven't.
Like...this month?"</p>

<p>So after wasting two hours of my time (on a Saturday I may add), I finally get out of there. My friend who actually had a decent recruiter loved it, but I hated it. </p>

<p>While it was a waste of my time: I realized a few things. I really don't want to join any branch of the military, and it's not for me. I didn't realize that just from my retarded recruiter, but more just seeing what they have to offer. </p>

<p>Bottom line: If you're considering joining the military, see a recruiter. It can make or break it for you. My friend is almost 100% sure that he's joining and I'm 100% sure that I'm not joining. And if you don't want to join the Military in the slightest, don't waste your time.</p>

2

<p>And they wonder why recruitment rates are down??</p>

3

<p>That guy sounds real though. If you're uncomfortable with that guy, I doubt the military is for you. It's reality, not the watered down politically correct hole that so many people are used to living in.</p>

<p>I wish my teachers would be more like that recruiter for the most part though.</p>

4

<p>Lmao, sigh.</p>

5

<p>I just wish people would stop using the word "retarded" all frivilously like they do. It's mean-spirited and like saying "That's gay."</p>

6

<p>boo hoo vermont boy go eat some ice cream</p>

7

<p>HEY. WESTSIDEWOLF1989. ICE CREAM IS THE SHIZ. DONT BE FRONTIN LIKE THAT. </p>

<p>can't just be hatin on things in-dis-crim-in-ate-ly. jeez.</p>

8

<p>Wow. I am completely shocked by everything, especially the marihuana part. </p>

<p>But like Armando said, it's the real deal. Maybe that guy was just an idiot, but the military is real life and they will treat you like that. I had a sergeant in ROTC who was as tough as it got and everytime he saw me around school he would yell: "Ugly!" (I am a girl) as a form of greeting. I love him to death. </p>

<p>And Kaznack, if something is gay or retarded what's wrong with calling them gay or retarded? You are calling them what they are.</p>

9

<p>Here's the thing. People might say about a new rule, "That's so retarded!" Or if a teacher gives a tough assignment, "He's so gay," or, "He's such a ___." Using those words in such contexts is demeaning and insensitive.</p>

10

<p>Wow, that sounds idiotic. Try going to a good recruiter. Seriously, people like that make the military look dumb. Who assigned him as a recruiter?</p>

<p>(...cough-air force-cough...)</p>

11

<p>My experience speaking with recruiters over the phone hasn't been very positive either. To be fair to the Armed Forces, you can't judge them all based upon the recruiters, and especially not the Marine recruiters. Sorry to say this, but the Marines are not the branch that most intelligent people are likely to join as opposed to the Air Force or Navy.</p>

<p>I finally decided that the only way I'd join the Military would be to go to West Point, Annapolis, or USAFA in Colorado Springs. Life as an officer is very different and you've only experienced the enlisted side of the picture.</p>

12

<p>Most of the recruiters I have spoken with (not a huge number) seemed honest and intelligent. Most of them were NCOs and the audience was at least 90% sure of joining the military (might have had some influence).</p>

<p>I have never experienced a recruiter trying to talk "gangsta." That has to be one of the all time worst methods I've heard about.</p>

13

<p>I just got a phonecall from a recruiter a few days ago, and he was really nice to me...I was actually impressed. Didn't badger me when I told him I wasn't interested, and just said "okay, you have a great day."</p>

<p>I think he knew I'd last about 2 seconds in the military. XD</p>

14

<p>Yeah, sounds like you ran into a poor and unprofessional recruiter. They're not all like that, trust me, but they are ultimately salespeople with quotas to meet... How did that guy end up as a recruiter? Dunno, but some people are forced into recruiting duty.</p>

<p>If you really don't want to join the military, then certainly don't and be thankful that you have the option. </p>

<p>The ASVAB is a piece of cake for most college-bound students. It is not meant to discriminate at a high level. You'd get more of a brain workout on the DLAB or Armed Forces Data Processing Test. Or an Officer Qualifying Test.</p>

<p>The Air Force, Coast Guard and Navy will, in general, provide much more of an intellectual atmosphere. Though you will meet dummies in all branches and some enlisted fields (Linguist, Navy Nuke, etc.) are home to some very sharp cats.</p>

<p>If you are headed to college and have any interest in the military, I would highly, highly recommend that you check out ROTC. The first two years are generally no commitment and there are <em>lots</em> of scholarship opportunites for solid students. I believe that the Marines have a program called Platoon Leaders Course that you can participate in during your Jr. and Sr. years that is no commitment.</p>

<p>Sorry to hear about your experience, but please don't let one sub-par individual shape your opinion on the whole organization.</p>