Why does the US military advertise?

[ShawnD]

I assume that Americans know what the military is, so why is there a need to advertise? It's not like the US military needs more people in it; many of the Americans I know online are in the military or are going to be. Americans I have associated with have said there are military recruiters at highschools; I mean they have their own office in the school.

Why advertise?

[Ivan Seeking]

Actually, there is talk of another draft due to all the recent activities.

Just thinking in general terms, the more people that you have to choose from, and the more that the military can look like a smart career option, then on the average more exceptional people and people with the "right stuff" can be found. When I allllllmost joined the Navy around 1980, the popularity of military service had been on a real downslide for a long time - really ever since Vietnam. As a result, one argument presented for joining was that given the current competition, a smart person can go very far, very quickly. This is not what the military wants. They want a buyers market; not a sellers market.

[jimmy p]

remember the Simpsons episode? Yvan Eht Nioj....

[wasteofo2]

Like Ivan said, we're actually dangerously near a shortage of troops in America. When the military advertises, it's not like "We're the military, we use weapons to kill people who want to do bad things to you", they tell you more about the education you can get in the military, places you travel, character you will gain, and try to insight nationalistic feelings about fighting in the military.

[deltabourne]

Everyone knows what Coke and McDonalds are, but they still advertise :wink: