On Friday, October 6, we were down at the Dos Pueblos High School Community Service Fair talking to students about alternatives to the military. During their lunchtime several students took their time to learn about many shortcomings that a military career drags around with it, from incompatible job training, to deep mental trauma.
It was great to interact with those who we work so hard to help, and the engagement was fantastic! Students were introduced to important questions that one might not consider when signing up but are absolutely crucial, such as, is there any way to lose the benefits promised by recruiters, or what are the terms of a military contract.
A couple of the students shared that their family members had been in the military. One young man said that his father had been deployed to Iraq and had trouble sleeping – he thought that he probably suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress (PTSD). Another student shared that her grandfather had been in Chiang Kai-shek’s armed forces in China. She said that he became separated from his family and never saw them again. Another student said that many of her family members who had served suffered from PTSD.
It’s always an enriching experience to be able to interact directly with students and I’d like to give a huge thank you to DPHS for having us there for their volunteer fair.
-Fernando Cornejo TIR Intern
truthinrecruitment.org 