What in the ass?! Does this actually happen?!
Holy heck, it is. What kind of depraved mind comes up with something like this and what kind of psychopaths approve this?!
The military realized decades back that videogames were an in for them. They have made several games and released them over the years to mixed but never stratospheric success. But military themed video games, shooters, flight sims, tanks etc- are all very popular and have been since the early days of gaming. There is also often- not always- but often some overlap between CERTAIN demographics of gamer and people looking for or perhaps missing some “greater purpose” or career trajectory.
So the military took the next step and started an E-sports team. Which- if we think about it.... getting upset about the military creating a team to play military themed games... like a popular title literally: “Call of Duty” is by itself somewhat.... odd. The military sponsors race cars and other types of sports teams that have almost or literally nothing directly relating to the military. The military sponsors or assists in movies and tv shows....
As for the recruiting- the e-sports military team was accompanied by recruiters. They also have presence on Twitch. The “kids as young as 12” part is because most online games and social platforms require you be 12+. And well- if you ask a recruiter to mail it email you a form- they probably will. If they KNOW you’re under age they may or may not do it- but you can’t enlist at such a young age with or without parents consent. So it’s irrelevant if you have a form. They also let kids go to fleet week and military parades.
And that’s the really weird part to me. It’s fine- totally cool- for a 12yo to be playing COD, Rainbow, etc. know the names of international man portable small arms and their details better than many actual soldiers- but somehow sending a kid already obviously having some interest in martial matters, a form they can’t legally sign- is enticing them to the armed forces? If they’re playing call of duty already.... and of course... the classic question... where are the parents? If you don’t want your kids talking to recruiters... where are you? If you don’t want them interested in martial subjects- why are they playing military games and likely watching military movies?
And what makes it so different than police or fire fighters who go to schools and talk to kids about how awesome it all is and give them little “jr deputy” and “future fire fighter” certificates and badges and such? I mean the most immoral thing I am see about it is how many 18yo kids join the military having seen movies and played these games and think it’s something it isn’t- after a recruiter told them likely a bunch of crap about how they can join <insurer SOF group here” in a year of enlisting or have the job of their choice or whatever mess they said or implied. But recruiters have been pulling that crap since the dough boys and before and don’t need the internet to be full of crap. (Not all recruiters are- a percentage are...)
But you’ve got ROTC and Jr. ROTC at schools already- and what’s the logic? Corporations and other government agencies talk to kids and try to build interest early and we are by and large ok with that- what’s the difference between the police talking to kids about careers in law enforcement and the military talking to kids about careers? If someone is going to say something about killing.... these days with the country still burning in places the cops do more killing than the military presently. Soldiers jobs aren’t to kill. It’s sometimes part of the job same as police, FBI, etc. but the military has non combat pilots, doctors, warehouse workers and filing clerks and almost any job you find not in the military that generally involve no killing and often no more risk of dying than the average person.
Holy heck, it is. What kind of depraved mind comes up with something like this and what kind of psychopaths approve this?!