I always feel uncomfortable when I see splashy ads created to recruit young men (hardly any are aimed at women) into the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines. One ad stands out which looks like a first person shooter video game. A buff warrior ascends a large metal contraption and comes face to face with a fire breathing lava creature. He pulls a huge sword from the floor and slays the beast which causes the crowd to roar as if you’d scored the winning touchdown. It’s powerful. It’s inspiring.
And it’s total B.S. If only wars were as simple as finding the magic sword.
But that’s not what I find most interesting about these ads. What I find interesting is how a young recruit decides that he wants be that hero who slays the beast. The payoff appears to be as much psychological as it is financial. A few years back the focus was less about the excitement of joining a large video game and more about getting your college paid for. Maybe it’s worth doing a cost/benefit analysis for joining the military.
Benefit:
Excitement
Learn valuable skills
Money for Education
Feeling of purpose
Chance to experience new country, cultures, people
Cost:
Possible death
Likelihood of major limb loss
For me, the many benefits do not outweigh the costs. Anything that may cost me my life I’m going to think twice about. I wish the military would show actual footage of fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan so these young recruits don’t think they are joining a big video game.
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Nordquist Blog 