Military presence raises questions
Christien Bradt and Jerry Englehart Jr.
Issue date: 3/7/08 Section: News
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Students, especially those who are against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, are wondering why they have seen a military presence on campus.
In an informal, diverse poll of 50 students, 25 percent said they've been approached to enlist. Not all of them fit the stereotype of what they expect the military to be looking for in an "Army of One."
Take Chris Gentry, a 17-year-old DBC student, who recently was approached by the Marines at the Daytona campus.
"I still have the card," said Gentry, whose smaller stature does not reflect the linebacker sized marines so prevalent in advertisements.
It has been in the news that the Army and Marines have been changing their enlistment standards as quotas have dropped and jobs need filling. Physical requirements and age limits have been loosened to accommodate more people who want to enlist and could not previously.
The reason military recruiters are allowed on campus is that they present opportunities for employment and education and are considered comparable to other professional and collegiate scouts.
The Solomon Amendment of 1996 penalizes institutions of higher education if they do not allow Reserve Officers' Training Corps programs or military recruiters on campus. Recruiters have right of access equal or greater to the rights of others to be on DBC's campus, based on the idea that they are potential employers, under the Solomon Amendment.
Unlike other types of employers, students recognize the persuasive tactics of recruiters even through the hype. And so do some military recruiters.
"It's just advertising like anything else," explained one, who asked to remain anonymous.
Not a rare sight on DBC's main campus, these recruiters are at the heart of a lot of misconceptions surrounding the relationship between the college, students' privacy and enlistment tactics.
Despite the military presence, many college students still believe that recruiters are not allowed access to the college's campus. Even fewer know that military recruiters have access to their personal directory information through the college itself.
Students often report being contacted at their home phones by recruiters and receiving information in the mail.
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