America's Little Soldiers

The US military, which operates in 146 countries around the world, has to convince 80,000 young people to join its ranks each year. In order to recruit, in the absence of military service, it has set up a very sophisticated program in schools which allows it to enroll thousands of teenagers: the JROTC or junior military reserves. This program concerns more than 3000 public schools, and nearly 500,000 children aged between 14 and 18. They wear uniforms at school and their physical education and optional courses are replaced by education provided by retired military personnel: history of the Armed Forces, civic education, discipline, physical preparation, and in some institutions, firearms and shooting training. The program primarily targets high schools in underprivileged suburbs and minority youths who are promised free education by the army to attract them into its ranks. It is the Pentagon that provides the funds, with a budget of several hundred million dollars, officially to contribute to the "development of youth".