I live in a Retirement community where our dining room is staffed with high School Seniors and Juniors learning the Food Service business close up. One of our servers was interested in joining the military and asked me if I had been in the service. When I answered yes, he asked me multiple questions which I thought a recruiter would be his best resource. I soon learned that recruiting has changed considerable and military occupations are not something that is focused on. After another server asked me a few similar questions, I decided it was time to visit a recruiting office myself.
Once I met with the Navy, Army and Air Force recruiters, I realized that our young people were seeking guidance about what they could expect if they signed up. I did some research and found that the military today is 20% women, and 90% non-combat assignments. Armed with this information, I soon found that I was becoming a magnet for high schoolers and I did my best to lower their anxiety.
I was reminded of my own anxiety when I was their age and the Viet Nam war was in full swing. My friends and I went through the same apprehensions when we were that age, only the recruiters then, were more forthcoming, as they were desperate for Volunteers. Five of us joined various services and all came back alive. I decided to write about our experiences and put them in a context that a high school student could relate to. The result was Duty, Honor, Purpose.
