This documentary, filmed on digital video, takes a sociological as well as journalistic approach to the perceptions of the military as a cultural, economic and political institution among today’s youth. By telling the stories of youth in JROTC and other recruitment programs, the documentary will provide insight into the factors that lead to the decision to enter military service. How does the military fit into their future plans for higher education, career building, and socioeconomic advancement? What is the military an alternative to, and how do they weigh the costs and benefits of the time investment and physical and mental challenges of military service? We have chosen to focus on young people in Hartford and New Haven, CT who are participating in military activities at the ROTC and JROTC level. In addition to interviewing the youth themselves, we also wish to interview the administrators and trainers of the programs and those responsible for structuring the curricula.

Another aim of the documentary is to portray, with honesty and sensitivity, the communities that are most targeted by recruitment campaigns—those in which youth, mostly youth of color, face poverty, institutional racism and failing public schools. To what extent does the prospect of military service provide hope for a better future? And perhaps more importantly, once these young people actual enter the military, are their hopes realized, or do they still confront the same hardships that they experienced growing up? Do the promises of the military match up with the realities of serving in the military? We seek to examine how issues of race, class and gender are negotiated by youth and by recruiters during the decision-making process and during their service in the military.

By framing this investigation of recruitment and the decision to join the army through the narratives of young people, we hope to give viewers a new perspective on how military recruiting today is structured and conceptualized. How have the aims and public image of the military changed since September 11, and how is the current political climate influencing how youth view military service? Are youth deterred by the danger of war abroad, or are they inspired by the wave of patriotism that has spread throughout the country?
Finally, we want to explore how young people who are currently serving, or who have left military service, view their decision to join now that they have actually experienced the military. Do they feel, in retrospect, that the military experience and its financial benefits were worth their time and effort? What are some issues they encountered that they had not anticipated, and how well prepared were they for military life by their recruitment programs? And in general, how has the military affected their adult lives? One of the primary goals of the film is to help youth who are contemplating joining the military to make informed decisions.

The film is currently in progress. The projected date of completion is some time in May of 2003.

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