Would you let your kids join?

[AFJROTCcadetEcho]

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What is your opinion on military themed youth groups like CAP or Sea Cadets? Do you think it is creepy that we are militarizing youth or is it just plain fun? Would you ever let your kids join Sea Cadets or CAP? Give me your honest opinion. I was an AFJROTC cadet in high school and loved every minute of it. AFJROTC made my high school experience more adventurous! I had the time of my life in AFJROTC Summer Leadership School.

http://www.sfgate.com/education/article/SAN-FRANCISCO-School-board-votes-to-dump-JROTC-2484670.php

JROTC has been controversial but I'm proud the cadets fought back.

[Locut0s]

1. Persionally I'm not a fan of any of these but...

I don't have kids and don't plan on having any so I'm not really in a position to say I suppose.

[Chan790]

2. I think they're okay.

Much rather have my kids join JROTC than...say...the Boy Scouts.

[Xyzse]

3. I don't have any kids but I don't see a reason not to.

Then again, I initially came from a private parochial school, and we had ROTC in there too.
I thought it was great in building discipline and keeping active.

It is far better than staying home playing video games. Particularly if it is concentrating on the physical aspects like obstacle courses and outdoor know how.

[NYC_SKP]

4. Hell yes I would. (nt)

[d_r]

5. if they want to

got to let kids be themselves. teach them what you will teach them and let them make their own decisions. you can't hurt your kids to prove how progressive you are.

[Arugula Latte]

6. Nope.

My kids know how I feel about the U.S. military. We've spent untold trillions on it since WWII and for what? They're very,very rarely "defending" us; they're mostly going on the offense. How many hundreds of thousands of brown and yellow people have we slaughtered ... and for what? Mostly for the benefit of the military-industrial complex. The whole thing sickens me. Any group that encourages this bullshit is not a good place for my kids.

[tblue]

7. With the way our military is abused?

Heck no! Fortunately my kid is not so inclined.

[olddots]

8. no

n.t.

[mrmpa]

9. Yes I would...........

I don't have children, however I have been a liaison between the Young Marines and the Marine Corps League Detachment I belong to. Within the past 5 years, we have not had one Young Marine enlist in any branch of the Military. Furtherance of a military career for these young men and women is not our priority.

Our goals are for each member to learn new skills, learn how to adapt to new situations, to take chances and expand their knowledge and abilities. Our members are afforded opportunities to attend space camp and other "skills" camps. They learn comraderie and discipline. Their school grades are looked at by the adults and if a Young Marine is faltering in school, then assistance for him/her is located.

Our members are both male and female, one new member has Tourettes Syndrome, so his fellow Young Marines will learn from him, patience, understanding and acceptance.

Parents are very involved with the program. The Young Marines are assisted by the adults in planning activities and training. I look at the Young Marines as a stepping stone toward adulthood.

[Taverner]

10. Militarization of youth

Sounds like a great idea...not

Keep in mind I am pretty anti-authoritarian

[mokawanis]

11. Nope

I discouraged my kids from volunteering to be cannon fodder when they were young. They know what war does to people and want nothing to do with it.

[In_The_Wind]

12. No

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[Arkansas Granny]

13. Yes, I would. Actually, my granddaughter was a member of the AFJROTC color guard and is

currently serving in the Navy. Her brother served in the Navy as did 2 of my sons and my brother. My other son served in the Army. It was a very positive experience for all of them.

[LWolf]

14. No.

If they chose to join when they were of age, I would support their choice. Before that? NO.

Edited to add: My boys are in their 30s. Neither of them chose a military career. My younger boy did his best to dissuade his best friend from joining up a couple of years after high school; he was unsuccessful in that effort. His friend joined up shortly before 9/11, and spent a great deal of time in Iraq. He came back a different person, with physical disabilities and PTSD. My son, his friend, will not be allowing HIS son, currently in middle school, to join such a group, either.

[Callmecrazy]

15. Absolutely.

My military experience was very formative for me. It taught me how to be a man, to respect women, and to not be a whiny little sugar britches with caca in my pants when I had to do something difficult. I learned that criticism should be constructive, not abusive and that a person shouting at you is usually either insecure or afraid of you. It got me in the best physical shape of my life and showed me just what I was capable of doing if I pushed myself. And it made me a snappy dresser. So yeah, I'd recommend it to all young people to instill confidence. There's no commitment to serve in the armed forces and you can always opt out.

That being said, sailors are a bunch of rust picking, squid eating swabbies and the Air Farce looks like a bunch of Smurfs. GO ARMY!

[GoneOffShore]

22. I remember an ex Marine Colonel tell me that the Corps didn't teach him about discipline.

His high school orchestra leader taught him about discipline.

Show up on time, do your own practice, cooperate with your band mates, take care of your instrument, and always wear a white shirt when you're performing. Oh, and play well with others and make good music.

The "military experience" is highly overrated and that's why I moved to England in 1971 and didn't come back to the US until 1981.

[Callmecrazy]

24. Did your band leader show you how to blow shit up?

A Soldiers fairy tale begin with,"Now this ain't no shit"
A musician fairy tale, "and one time, at band camp..."
Please. I've done both and there is no comparison as far as I'm concerned.

[GoneOffShore]

25. Well, bless your heart.

So you'd rather "Blow shit up" rather than add beauty to the world.

Alrighty then.

I try to stay cynical, but I just can't keep up.

[Callmecrazy]

26. Yeah whatever.

Nice avatar, BTW. A skull with a knife in its mouth. Hypocrite.

And Bless your heart right back atcha.

[GoneOffShore]

27. I eat meat and I'm a cook. The skull has on a chef's hat.

It's hardly a hypocritical avatar.

You said you like to "Blow Shit UP" and that it was more fun than creating something.

Don't expect to be invited to dinner.

[Major Nikon]

30. Both are examples of group discipline, not necessarily personal discipline

One allows for freedom of expression, the other works against it. The latter lends itself to all sorts of uses that range from the military to workplace lemmings. Organized religion uses it to great economic and political effect.

[NoPasaran]

16. Sure, why not?

Every generation needs to be acquainted with Brasso.

[caraher]

17. CAP isn't just a youth organization

I know nothing about Sea Cadets, but CAP is the "Civil" Air Patrol and they do things like aerial search flights (and in WWII performed anti-sub patrols). They're not just a hook for recruiters to suck young kids into the military but a serious organization that does good work.

I kind of wish I'd joined (and I'm really a pacifist at heart, but I love airplanes).

[Major Nikon]

29. I was an adult member for a few years

The cadet program is somewhat separate from the operational side. I say somewhat because the cadets get to help out with the ground portion of search and rescue and they get so many free flights in CAP aircraft if they wish which includes powered aircraft as well as gliders.

I did a lot of different types of flying missions with them which included searching for downed aircraft, searching for space shuttle parts, fire watch, and post-hurricane assistance. It was a lot of fun, but it was eating up too much of my free time.

[Iggo]

18. Already did.

She got it out of her system, no prodding from me.

ADD: Not CAP, by the way, but the Navy version of ROTC (whatever that's called).

[Tuesday Afternoon]

19. Yes.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

20. Yes for sure

I was in Civil Air Patrol for almost 10 years. It's mostly a number of dedicated people who volunteer. These programs have their own curricula and are not about violence. CAP, in particular, teaches aerospace, physical fitness through an aerobics program, leadership development and a number of other topics. Among CAP's missions are disaster relief and both airborne and land based search and rescue. CAP does the majority of search and rescue operations for missing airplanes. CAP participated in the search for JFK, jr after his plane went down and, in the early 70s, CAP located Audie Murphy's plane after it crashed in a mountainous area of Virginia.

When I was involved the Pennsylvania group had an extensive search and rescue training program which included courses such as field medic, communications, survival and staff training.

I also had friends in the USCG Auxiliary and some other organizations which all exist mostly on volunteer efforts and funds. All that I know of include volunteerism and service.

[GoneOffShore]

21. No way.

It is, as you say, "creepy that we are militarizing youth" and glorifying the military culture.

Might as well be a JRNSA corps, but of course they couldn't tell anyone about it.

[Lady Freedom Returns]

23. Yes.

I wanted to join the Army. I was to short. So I went to plan B. College.

My SO was in the Marines for 8 years.

If we did have kids and they wanted to do this or join the Service, I would say go for it.