Schools point out teens to Military Recruiters--Teens aren't Happy

The Newark Star Ledger ^ | 03.04.03

[Coleus]

The phone calls started during Christmas break.

An Army recruiter told 17-year-old Ted Giannopoulos he'd like to take Giannopoulos to lunch and then to the East Orange recruitment station, where he would show Giannopoulos a video.

"I said I wasn't interested," the Livingston High School senior said. He added: "We were on the phone for like half an hour. I just tried to get him off the phone. I told him I'd call him back."

[Coleus]

Poor baby was on the phone for "like" a half hour, I never heard of a teenager on the phone for that long, such torture. What's wrong with a free lunch?

[Norse]

Rediculous...why can't they just tell them they aren't interested. The recruiter won't bother with those who aren't prospects.

[Stopislamnow]

Recruiters are uber-pressured for results.

However, I strongly disagree with this.

Two sessions with recruiters, once as a junior in high school, and again as a senior are all that should be allowed. If a student WANTS to talk to a recruiter the student will get in touch.

BTW, I'm former USA, vet. I personally hate telemarketers, and recruiters seem to be taking over thier pattern.

I had to slam dunk the NG recruiter coupla years ago by calling my congressman. Calls and letters stopped.

[stanz]

One keeps calling my daughter despite the fact that she's told him a number of times she's is not interested. She's a college student and never ever gave out her cell phone number. He got it from college records. I told her the next time he calls, to put me on the phone.

[mystery-ak]

When the recruiters would call asking to talk to my son in the 90's, I would tell them to call back when Clinton was out of office.....no way was I going to let that rapist be my son's CinC..it was bad enough he was my hubby's.....I can't tell you all the chuckles I would hear...LOL

btw....my son is now serving and awaiting deployment to you know where.

[Eagle Eye]

Nothing in this story is new. Nothing. Recruiters been calling kids for decades. FYI, they have contact milestones that they MUST meet, they have mandatory phone time (red time), and they get checked on their progress often.

[dts32041]

School takes federal money they get the lists and you listen.

School doesn't take federal money they do get the list.

Hum wonder if there is a correlation.

[PatrioticAmerican]

How about just hanging up?

[PhiKapMom]

My son has had the same problem. Been going on for four years and they have yet to remove his name from their list. I get all the calls as he lives at the fraternity house. I have taken to just asking "What part of 'NO' do you not understand?" I have given up being nice after I got two calls in one week from the same person.

I consider it like a telemarketing. If my son was interested, he would call them!

Air Force took his name off while he was a senior, but the Navy is still calling month after month!

[smokeyjon]

I have only two problems with this:

1. The opt-out forms should be explained during freshman orientation and provided immediately.

2. The kids, not the parents, should be responsible for signing the opt-out.

[muggs]

I told them that as long as clinton was in office I would advise my son not to join. The calls did stop after that but there were probably more than 75 calls before I finally got upset over all the calls my son was recieving. He tried to tell them he wasn't interested but they wouldn't take no for an answer.

[stanz]

You mean I have 3 more years of this? It's incredible.
I can understand wanting to recruit males, especially during these times, but why are they so persistent with females? At first I thought he might be just looking to score, but it seems it's genuine recruitment he's after.

[muggs]

You mean I have 3 more years of this?

Maybe you could try telling them she is a convicted felon.

[PhiKapMom]

They have been calling here all through my son's college and nothing you say seems to make any difference.

Good Luck in getting rid of them!

[petuniasevan]

Open Your Eyes -- Organized Youth Educators collected completed "opt-out" forms and tallied results.

"A lot of people are unaware of it. When you tell them, they're really surprised," OYE-OYE member Sarah Chu, a freshman

ROFL! Sarah the OYE-OYE!

The aye-aye shown here lives on the island of Madagascar off the coast of Africa. It is a very specialized insect-eater. The aye-aye shares the primate characteristics of large eyes and good climbing abilities. The aye-aye, and most other prosimians, differ from monkeys and apes in having a moist area of skin on the nose. The Aye-aye is the only member of the family Daubentoniidae, and is considered to be the most bizarre of all primates. It is also the largest nocturnal primate in the world.

Good description!

[stanz]

Thanks. Looks like we'll need it.

[PhiKapMom]

BTW my daughter joined the Navy on her own one day after we had finally got the calls stopped for her. Wouldn't you know it -- six months later they started calling her again and even when told she is in the Navy, the calls kept coming until I finally made a trip to the Navy Recruiter in person! That worked!

[sonofron]

my roommate from college tried to join the navy, but they would not let him citing some strange heart condition. Funny thing is that he went to another doctor(civilian) that couldn't find anything wrong with him. He then gave up and went for the army and had no problem passing a physical. makes me wonder. the kid's smart and physically fit, but i can not figure out why the navy would not give him a waiver. He even wrote his congressman because he wanted to go so badly.

[stanz]

Oh boy... it's worse than MCI!

[Theophilus]

Used to work for USAREC and all I can say is God bless the recruiters, what a horrible job, working to persuade little deities to sacrifice a half hour (much less 3 years and possibly their life) for their country!