Thinking About Enlisting?
Be a Wise Consumer

Never enlist the first time you see a recruiter
Military recruiters are sales people. They are trained to sell you on the good aspects of military life and not to mention the problems. Talk to a recently discharged veteran or one who fought in Vietnam. Find out what military life is really like.

Take along a friend or relative if you visit a recruiter
They can help you take notes, think of questions to ask, and watch out for your best interests. Their notes and ideas will be very helpful later when you make your final decision about enlistment.

Don't sign any papers...
... until you have taken them home and read them carefully. Ask the recruiter for a copy of the enlistment agreement. If the recruiter was honest, there should be no objection to your taking the agreement home to check it out.
If the recruiter refuses to give you a copy of the agreement, you should report this to your Congressional office. You're not in the military yet. The recruiter can't order you around.

Don't Believe Promises From Recruiters
Spoken promises are worthless, so get all the recruiter's promises in writing. Even then, the Armed Forces don't have to honor the recruiter's promises. A recent Congressional study found that most people in the Army today feel that recruiters misled them.

The promises in the written enlistment agreement donšt have to be honored at all when therešs a war. The military has the right to put you anywhere they choose.

Talk the Contract Over with Someone You Know and Trust
An enlistment agreement is a cleverly written document which can be very confusing. Ask us or a lawyer to explain any parts of the agreement you donšt understand. Considering enlistment is a serious business since it means at least an eight year commitment to the Armed Forces -- a minimum of two years on active duty and six years in the Reserves.

The military is not a good place to escape from problems. Your personal problems or job situation may change in the near future, and a decision you make now in desperation may be one you will regret later.

Never give false information or cover up anything...
...especially police records, health problems, or educational history, even if the recruiter tells you to. No matter what the recruiter says, you will suffer when this is discovered.

There are no job guarantees in the military...
...or after you get out either.
Even if you get the job training you were promised, they donšt have to assign you to the job you were trained for. And, military training is often useless in civilian employment. Studies show that the unemployment rate among young veterans is about 35% higher than among non-veterans in the same age group. One study showed that only about 12% of the men and 6% of the women surveyed made any use of their military skills in civilian life.

Recruiters may try to entice you with "Enlistment Options." These special programs are supposed to give recruits more control over what happens to them in the military, but they rarely turn out the way they sounded in the recruiteršs office. Ask the recruiter the following questions if you're considering these "options":

• If I take this special option, how long do I have to stay in the Armed Forces?
• What further tests or physical standards do I have to meet to qualify for this option? What happens if I don't meet the standards?
• What happens to my option if I can't complete the special training that is part of the requirements?
• If my option is for a special location or geographical assignment, does the guarantee last for the whole time that I'm in the Armed Forces?
• If I sign up with a friend for the "Buddy Plan," how long do we stay together?
• Does this option need a security clearance? What happens to me if I can't get one?
• If it turns out the option I signed up for is not available, what other choices will I have?
• If I signed up for the Delayed Entry Program while still in school, can I change my mind before active duty begins?
• What happens if I change my mind after I sign up?

If you don't like being bossed around and having someone telling you what to do, you may have a hard time adapting to military life. You are subject to orders 24 hours a day.

When in uniform, you're under total control of the military. Past promises of status, pay, and benefits can change without warning.

If you're in the Delayed Entry Program (DEP) but have not yet started active duty service, you still have rights as a civilian before you begin basic training. Here are some things you should know:

• You are not required to do any work for the military. Your recruiter can't order you to do anything and you can't be punished.
• You are not required to encourage your friends to join the military.
• You have a legal right to get out of the DEP. Thousands are discharged each year. You can get out if you:
  • decide to go to college
  • have medical problems or become pregnant
  • have family financial or health problems and you are needed at home
  • can prove your recruiter lied to you or told you to lie on enlistment forms
  • were under 18 when you signed up and your parents later changed their minds about allowing you to enlist.

It is hard to find a job today, but it can be done. You may feel that the military is the only place left to turn for a job, even though you don't want to enlist. Before you do, talk to your friends and neighbors who are employed to find out how they got their jobs. Don't forget guidance counselors and teachers. They have resources and connections you can use to find a job. Other organizations that could be helpful in your search are: neighborhood job counseling programs, church groups, county and state employment agencies, and union training programs.

The Armed Forces are not employment agencies. If you are thinking about the Armed Forces as only a job, war is something you need to think about. Don't enlist unless you have seriously considered how you feel about killing and being killed. Even if you don't plan to get involved in a war, you could very well end up in the middle of one if you are a part of today's Armed Forces.

For more information or free counseling, contact:

Larry Dansinger/MDMC
161 Stovepipe Alley
Monroe, ME 04951
(207) 525-7776
rosc@psouth.net

Rob Pfeiffer
960 Barnestown Rd.
Hope, ME 04847
763-4405
pfeiffer@midcoast.com