Military Marketing

         I believe that all of the military branches have a marketing problem which is growing by the year. The military is constantly trying to get new recruits to sign up because their really can never be too many employees in any of the branches, but I think there is a disconnect between then and the new generations. Back during both World Wars, Korea, and Vietnam, the government had no problem getting a large number of volunteers, even when they called for a draft. They used nationalism and the idea of becoming a hero to lure in young men to fight. Back then, this technique was much needed and worked, but I think that in today’s culture, the military needs to rebrand themselves or else their number of recruits will dwindle. I believe that America’s attitude towards the military, servicemen, and overseas conflicts in general has shifted drastically that the old way of advertisement is no longer viable. Teenagers today don’t really seem to care about being a hero or doing their “duty” by serving their country. Teens are more career driven than before and are more pressured to go into college. I’m also guilty of judging those that choose to go into the military rather than college. I have friends that took both paths, but a common thread of those that went into the military were usually those that came from lower income families or didn’t perform well in school. I think this is a common stereotype America has on the military and I believe it is unhealthy. I respect those that chose to join, and I’m not sure if young adults should be pushed in that direction but their definitely does need to be servicemen to protect the public.