With all of the controversy surrounding the wars, it is easy to misplace our hate and distrust. Many view the army as the force terrorizing the Middle East, but it’s the government that sent them— it wasn’t the actual troops’ decision. Because of this confusion the army’s recruiting tactics are often seen as the strong preying on the weak when it really is a very necessary process. America cannot just rely on its inventors, politicians, artists and artisans.

We need an army.

It isn’t an anti-peace statement. If we want America to remain a world power, we need security, and the only way we can maintain that security is with a force that is ready to fight. The army is very open about the hardships of the careers they offer and even if they weren’t, any interested students would have plenty of resources to research. No one is being duped, bamboozled or otherwise, and what the army is offering isn’t half bad.

What a student gets in return for joining is an education, salary, training and the kind of discipline only a soldier can acquire. He or she isn’t immediately shipped out to die; they spend years at a training academy and can eventually leave with a strong education and blurb on their resumé.

MVHS students may not immediately jump to mind when thinking of future soldiers, but why shouldn’t they? MVHS supply some of the brightest minds you can find at a high school, and wouldn’t you be comfortable knowing that our army is filled with smart, capable people? Contrary to many students’ beliefs, joining the military is not beneath us. It is a completely legitimate and honorable career and does not deserve the derision it receives when it visits our school. If you support the troops, would it really be so shameful to join them?