Military Cadet Programs

[Shadow]

A friend of mine has been doing some research, and he asked me to help him out.

What do you think of Military cadet programs, such as Army Cadets, Naval Cadets, Young Marines, Marine Cadets, and Civil Air Patrol?

Are you shocked that these are even allowed, feel it's just military propaganda to recruit kids, think it's great for kids to prepare them for the military, unopinionated, or wondering why you haven't heard of these before?

Like I said, this is to help a friend out, and he wants all opinions.

Thanks for your time.

[katiecavyNC]

For young people interested in a career in the military, they seem like a good way to get their feet wet understanding what it is all about without being totally unprepared when they are old enough to enlist. They can also help someone make a decision about what branch of the military appeals most to them.

There are many people who want to serve their country and plan to enlist in the military when they are out of school, or plan to do ROTC in college to help pay for it, etc. These programs are a great way to prepare oneself for the military regimen and begin to build miliary discipline and training.

Of course, I'm biased as my dad was a retired Army Colonel and spent almost 3 years of his life (19-21) as a prisoner of war in Korea in 1950s. I learned from him the importance of serving one's country and community - whether through military service, or volunteerism, etc. His military experience made him the person he was - and was a great opportunity out of a poor rural area, enabled him to get an education (Undergrad and Masters) and provided a good income for his family.

I actually toyed with the idea of attending West Point when I graduated HS. I had the GPA and test scores to get in, but when I saw the physical requirements I knew I was never going to pass THOSE tests!