[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17821]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



MILITARY RECRUITMENT THROUGH EFFECTIVE PRESENTATIONS TO AMERICA'S YOUNG 
                                 PEOPLE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM SAXTON

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 26, 1999

  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, we know that today our armed forces are 
facing serious shortfalls in recruitment. Already, these shortfalls are 
having a dangerous impact on our Nation's military readiness. We will 
have all the best tools, and no one to fight the war. In part, the 
problem may be caused by a blessing: America's flourishing economy, 
which leads our young people to enter a booming job market rather than 
the rigors of military service. Therefore, it is essential for our 
national security that our government do all that it can to support our 
armed forces in effectively communicating to young people of 
recruitment age the advantages and benefits of service.
  Honor, patriotism, and the desire for adventure still engage and 
motivate America's young men and women. America's armed forces offer 
the opportunity to be part of something meaningful, to learn self-
discipline and sacrifice. For many idealist young people the military 
offers them an experience unmatchable elsewhere. So we have to get the 
message out about what service in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines 
means to their own country, and what opportunities such service 
entails. And we must recognize that in today's world, we are competing 
with some of the most effective marketing and recruitment techniques 
ever devised by U.S. companies, which quite reasonably want to catch as 
many of the best and the brightest as they can for themselves.
  Therefore, it is essential that we convey our message by the most 
effective means possible, employing language and images engaging to 
young Americans of recruitment age. Programming messages by the U.S. 
Navy have scored significant recruiting success in recent months, 
partially reversing the downward trend of Navy recruitment. Programming 
directed toward high school students for post-graduation enlistment can 
be particularly beneficial. For example, Channel One, the in-school 
news analysis program reaches eight million American students daily. 
Studies have shown that it is particularly well targeted and unusually 
effective means of increasing awareness of the military service option 
and positive attitudes toward it. As a result of this exposure, 
students in Channel One schools are more likely to consider enlisting.
  Mr. Speaker, the use of innovative methods to educate and encourage 
young people about the benefits of service to their country is 
essential in today's marketplace. Our national security demands such an 
effort. At the same time, service in the United States military truly 
provides young Americans with an opportunity to gain by giving to their 
country. I intend to work hard to ensure that our government expands 
its support for our armed forces' efforts in this direction.

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