Youths test their military skills

[stevedeshazer]

They rappel, learn outdoor skills, play 'infantry football'

McMINNVILLE (Oregon) -- For a day, 14-year-old Haley Peterson was in the National Guard.

She raced down a zip line, rappelled down a steep hill and led a "squad" in combat. "Rappelling," she said, "that's really cool. And I learned a lot of new things. But the 'infantry football,' that's awesome."

"Infantry football" is a modified form of laser tag, capture the flag and paintball. Haley was commended for her performance "under fire" by members of the Oregon National Guard's 1-162nd Infantry Bravo Company, which hosted the event.

<snip>

Carl Knox and his son Daniel of Portland were amazed by the number of activities the National Guard set up for the teens.

"If they could do this every week, they would do nothing else," Carl said as Daniel took part in a skirmish of "infantry football." Daniel was disappointed that he fired his weapon only three times.

link: http://159.54.226.83/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050314/NEWS/503140330/1001

[merwin]

1. Brainwash them while they're young! Seems to stick better that way.

How could any parent send their kid to something like this?

[stevedeshazer]

2. Sounds like an arranged marriage to the military

These kids are like 14-15 years old.

:shrug:

[saigon68]

5. They should show them pictures like this (caution !!! GRAPHIC VIOLENCE)

YOUR PRETTY uniform don't look too pretty anymore









High-energy gunshot wound to the abdomen, passing through the liver.


more here http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/351/24/2476

[doublethink]

8. Yep your pictures .....

should be posted right along side of this hunky dory story of children war training games, instead of the ones their. Maybe moms, dads and the kids would actually THINK of the realities ....

[phantom power]

3. Those kids should talk to some Iraq veterans, and

ask them how much rapelling and "infantry-football" they got to do over there.

These kids need somebody to remind them that war isn't a @#$!$! summer-camp.

[CottonBear]

4. The Marines have programs/clubs for kids as young as 8!

There was a recent article in the AJC about the Marines kids club. I was shocked.

[AllegroRondo]

6. Good to see the Hitler Jugend is back

[RaleighNCDUer]

7. Yeehaw! The National Guard is just like summer camp! And

they'll pay you, besides!

Join up now!

[w4rma]

9. Its all fun and games until someone loses an eye (or leg or life, etc)(nt)

[saigon68]

10. 2 Legs and an arm

Go to Walter Reed and see the broken wrecks of humanity.

Or as President R. Cheney says-- "Garcon more champagne for my friends from Halliburton."

[Javaman]

11. The new hitler youth...

Sure show them all the "cool" stuff, but don't tell them about having to dig slit latrines or maneuvers in the rain or hours upon hours of marching or sand fleas or the Baghdad boil or etc etc etc.
This doesn't even talk about having then having to pay $230 per year now for their VA coverage or crappy pay in general or no armor or old equipment or not enough bullets etc etc etc.
They don't even get into getting a limb(s) blown off or your brains scrambled in your helmet from vertical IED or writing your next of kin on your induction papers or putting your blood type on your boot or etc etc etc.

An army of one, killed/wounded one at a time.

[stevedeshazer]

12. No shit

That's about right.