The federal government does not ask high school and college students to join the armed forces per se; they provide the legislation and the tools for the recruiters to do it. Such legislation is far from new; in 1980, in the wake of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Iran hostage crisis, President Jimmy Carter received approval from Congress to reinstate mandatory registration for military service for males 18 through 25. I was a sophomore in college at the time. I registered as required; however, military recruiters never contacted me, nor was I asked to serve. I was perfectly happy to comply with that policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
Military recruiters were welcome on campus while I was in high school during the late 1970′s. They did the same as college admissions officers. They set up shop in the guidance office for the better part of a day; gym teachers were more than willing to excuse students from class to talk to them. I was unaware of any complaints; this seemed like a symbiotic relationship for students, teachers, and recruiters too. However, the country was not at war in 1978.
