I'm Not Sure This Is The Best Way To Recruit...

This story in the local paper says lots of kids in a particularly rural nearby area are joining up for the Great Iraq Adventure:

Stories about Dietrich's death and the deaths of West Perry graduates Army Sgt. Brent W. Dunkleberger, 29, who was killed Dec. 12 in Mosul, Iraq, and Marine Lance Cpl. Jason Frye, 19, of Landisburg, who died Oct. 6, 2005, outside of Fallujah, Iraq, have not decreased enthusiasm to enlist.

"There's almost a sense of brotherhood and loyalty about it," Shaughnessy said. "Students will say, 'I'm from where they're from. They did it. I can do it, too.'"

Uh... I don't think that's the image they want to march off to boot camp with.

Each of the schools mentioned in the article has had about 5% of each graduating class for the last few years join the military. The article says it's not training or tuition that motivates most of them, but the desire to serve, even on the front lines.

Kids who are 18 today were about 12 or 13 on 9-11-2001. How much has that shaped them? Do they know that Iraq and 9-11 are unrelated? Does it matter to them?

Stop The War.