1. Do not make a quick decision by enlisting the first time you see a recruiter or when you are upset. A recruiter is a salesperson who will give only a positive, one-sided picture of life in the military. Don’t make this important decision when you are depressed, hard up for work, confused or unsure about your future, or pressured by your family. This decision affects many years of your life; don’t make it lightly.
2. Take a witness with you when you speak with a recruiter. There is a lot of information to take in. A friend can take notes and help you ask questions.
3. Talk to veterans. Veterans can give you their view of military life, good and bad.
4. Consider your moral feelings about going to war. The mission of the military is to prepare for and wage war. If you cannot in good conscience engage in war or in killing, you should not consider enlisting. If you become opposed to war after you join, you have the right to seek a discharge, but it is a long, difficult and uncertain process.
5. Get a copy of the enlistment agreement. Read the fine print carefully, especially the part about what the military can order you to do. You do have a right to take this home, look it over and ask others about it.
6. There is no “period of adjustment” during which you may request and receive an immediate honorable discharge. Once you have left for basic training, you must fulfill the full number of years (usually eight, with some of these in the Reserves) on your enlistment contract. You cannot leave of your own free will. The military, however, may decide you are “unsuitable” and discharge you without your consent.
7. Get all your recruiter’s promises in writing but also remember that the military can change the terms (such as pay, job or benefits) of your work. Though there are no guarantees, a written statement may offer you (as a service member) some protection if promises are not met. However, the contract is more binding on you than on the military. You are ultimately responsible for information on the form, so don’t tell lies, even if pressured.
8. There are no job guarantees in the military. The military is not required to keep you in the job you trained for on a full-time or permanent basis. In fact, most recruiters were involuntarily reassigned to their jobs. Placements are mostly dependent on what the military perceives it needs. Most military jobs are in areas that account for only a small percentage of civilian jobs.
9. Military personnel cannot exercise all of the civil liberties enjoyed by civilians. You do not have the same constitutional rights. Your rights to free speech, assembly, petition and exercise of individual expression (such as clothing or hairstyle) are restricted. You must follow all orders given to you, whether or not you agree with them and consider them right or fair.
10. Many opportunities exist for you to serve your community and enhance your skills. Before you decide to enlist, check out other options that would help you “be all you can be.” Travel, education, money for school, job training and adventure can all be found in other ways. Your local community may even have opportunities that you hadn’t considered. Check out our “Alternatives to the Military” section for starters. The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a faith-based organization working internationally for peace, justice and reconciliation. To learn more, visit http://www.afsc.org or call (415) 565-0201 or (510) 238-8080.
Questions to Ask Military Recruiters and the Answers Military Recruiters Should Give You .by Alternatives to the Military - Lincoln on Monday, September 13, 2010
Q. How long is my enlistment commitment actually for?
A. Your enlistment period will last eightyears. Some portion will be active duty and some portion will be on reserve duty. Reserve duty can be made active.
Q. Can the armed forces make me stay longer than what I have contracted for?
A. Yes, the military has the right to change your contract and extend your service longer than you agreed to.
Q. Do I get paid more money for staying longer than my contract stipulates?
A. No, unless you receive a promotion,your pay scale stays the same, but if you are in a combat related job, you can receive "combat pay."
Q. Do I have any say in where I go, and how long I'm there for?
A. No, the military determines where you go and how long you are there. You do have the right to request transfers to different units, but there is never aguarantee that your request will be granted.
Q. How much does a newly enlisted service member get paid per week?
A. A new service member who is not an officer can be paid between $13,000 and$14,500 a year. An average is about$280.00 a week with an average workweek of 80 hours. ($3.39 an hour). (Note: These numbers are not updated to 2010.)
Q. Am I guaranteed the ability to go to college if I want to?
A. If you are on active duty, you are not guaranteed the ability to go to school when you want to. Your commanding officer must give their permission. You also might be deployed to a combat area for more than 15 months at a time, making courses, even online courses,tough to complete.
Q. Can I do a job I want to do in this branch, or am I assigned one?
A. Your job assignment is based on yourArmed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery score. If your ASVAB score is too low or you flunk out of your job training,you will not get that job and could be reassigned.
Q. If I change my mind about being in this branch, can I resign?
A. Only an officer can resign. Enlisted members must serve their time or face harsh penalties. Voluntary discharges can happen, but are rare.
Q. What will happen to me if I decide I don't want to be involved in the militaryafter I enlist?
A. You could put up with it, or risk being court-martialed, receiving a dishonorable discharge, spending time in a military jail,or getting a demotion and reduction inpay. You may also become ineligible for some civilian jobs if this happens.
Q. What are the most dangerous military jobs?
A. In a war zone, there is no job that is safe. Many service members, whose jobs were transportation related have been killed and injured in Iraq, but infantry related positions are among the most dangerous traditionally.
Q. Will the skills I learn in the military beuseful in civilian life?
A. It depends on what your job specialty is. Much of what you will learn to do inthe military will only relate to military jobs and not civilian jobs.
Q. What are the negative aspects of my training?
A. Studies have shown that those whoare trained to kill and deal with the stress of warfare have the tendency to develop emotional and psychological healthproblems.
Q. What do I do if an officer gives me a command that I believe is illegal?
A. Military training is designed to mold service members to respond to orders without thinking. Of course, if you believe an order is unlawful you have an obligation to refuse to act upon it. If the lines are blurred, most will just obey.Those who refuse, if the order is illegal,could still face penalties.
Q. What is post- traumatic stress disorder?
A. PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) is a severe mental health affliction thatdevelops when one experiences orwitnesses a traumatic event, such as combat or the effects of combat. Flashbacks, nightmares, depression, and inability to think straight are some of the symptoms of PTSD.
Q. Will I receive any compensation if I am permanently disabled in war?
A. Yes, you can receive compensation if you are disabled, but the payment will bebased on your actual disability. The military rating system for measuring disabilities and calculating disability payment has long been thought to be unfair. A person who is blinded may only get a 50% disability rating, for instance.
Q. Have you ever seen combat and doyou think exposure to it is healthy for me?
A. Any recruiter who tells you that experiencing combat is healthy must not be aware of the thousands of war veterans who are suffering PTSD, surviving without arms or legs, or whose quality of life will never be what it was before they witnessed combat.
Q. Will I be deployed to the Middle East?
A. Nearly every job is a "deployable" job. If you enlist in the Reserves or theNational Guard, there is a very good chance that you will be deployed to the Middle East rather than serving weekend duty stateside. Active duty enlistees should also be prepared to deploy. Forces are stretched thin and thereforenew recruits should always be prepared to go to war.
prepared by http://www.afsc.org
American Friends Service Committee, National Youth & Militarism Program, 1501 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102; 214-241-7176; youthmil@afsc.org; http://www.youth4peace.org 0
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