Military Recruiters Case Study

What is the American dream? Some people would say that the American dream consist of our freedom of speech, liberty, capitalistic society, the ability to vote, and home of the land of the free. In fact, some people would credit the American dream to the ability to move in and out of social classes. Therefore the American society hypotheses that the way to a better life is through formal education and the school administration are rated on their ability to prepare their students for higher education, which will allow them to obtain a higher standard of living. Therefore, certain schools and school districts go to extreme lengths to keep out military Recruiters out. On the contrary, it is vital to allow military Recruiters into the High Schools in order to provide opportunities to qualified students in order to better themselves which ultimately makes the students more marketable in today’s extremely competitive job market. Prior to evaluating why it is vital for military Recruiters to be allowed in the schools it is important to evaluate both sides. High Schools and School districts are in the business of providing quality education to their students and guiding them along their journey to successfully completing High School. Ultimately, the schools and districts are ranked on the following factors: school performing better than statistically expected for students in state, “disadvantage students” students performing better than disadvantage students in state, schools meet or surpass benchmark for their graduation rate, and finally Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate test data ("How U.S. News Calculated The 2016 Best High Schools Rankings"). Therefore, schools are praised for their meeting or exceeding these standards. According to Staff Sergeant Stephen Thomas, assigned to the United States Air Force Recruiting Squadron out of Atlanta, Georgia for the past four years states, “there is an apparent correlation between school accessibility and unapproachability based on how well a school is ranked.” Schools that are not performing higher than the state’s average are prime locations for military Recruiters to go in and out as they please, in order to actively recruit. Unfortunately, some people might side with Doctor Amy Hagopian, where she states that military recruiters’ tactics and behaviors are very similar to predatory grooming (19-23). Contrarily, can we assume that the recruiter is at the school in order to provide an opportunity that might exceed what his given to the student? On the other hand, the schools that are ranked higher than the state average and located on the wealthy side of the city are more reluctant to having you in the school (Thomas). Certain schools will go to extremes to limit your access to schools and fail to provide you student information (Thomas). Regardless if the school is highly ranked or poorly ranked, the blue print is for the student to proceed there education in college. American society vastly emphasizes higher education as a means to be successful and elevate one out of a lower social class or maintain existing social class. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), in fall 2015, some 20.2 million students are expected to attend American colleges and universities ("Fast Facts"). Furthermore, the average annual price for undergraduate tuition, fees, room and board was $15,640 at public institutions, $40,614 at private nonprofit institutions (“Fast Facts”). Based on a study, the national average of students that take on Federal Student Loans is 66% (Lee and Mueller 714-719). Apparently, Americans consider education as being so important that they are willing to take on a substantial of Federal Student Loan debt. It is important for military Recruiters to access High Schools in order to …show more content…
According to statistics, the average annual salary of a High School graduate is $34,736 compared to Bachelorette degree holder with an average annual salary of $62,036 ("More Education Still Means More Pay In 2014 : The Economics Daily: U.S. Bureau Of Labor Statistics"). Military compensation will vary based on several variables, such as, Basic Pay, Basic Housing Allowance, Basic Allowance for Subsistence, Special Pay and Bonuses, Expense Allowance, Medical Care and Federal Tax Advantages. The military is more than just a paycheck, it is a career where one could expect to retire after twenty years of service and receive half of your base pay for the rest of one’s