Vets Protest America's Army Tournament

[Nathan Meunier]

Vets Protest America's Army Tournament

A group of peaceful-minded military veterans took to the streets in California over the weekend to protest the U.S. Army's use of a gaming tournament to draw in young recruits, likening the tactic to "military pedophilia."

Enlisting our country's youth, training them to kill, and then sending them off to war is nothing new for the U.S. government. However, a small gathering of military veterans, members of the Veterans for Peace organization, took issue with a U.S. Army-sponsored videogame tournament and staged a protest [http://www.gamepolitics.com/2008/12/07/protester-army039s-teen-game-competition-quotmilitary-pedophiliaquot] outside the event Saturday.

Designed to drum up interest for America's Army [http://www.americasarmy.com/] - a tactical first-person shooter developed by the army as a recruitment and PR tool - the competition was held at the army training center in Rancho Cordova and drew many teen participants.

"It's like giving candy to kids," protestor John C. Reiger, president of the Sacramento chapter of Veterans for Peace, told ABC News 10 [http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=51581&catid=2]. "It's sort of like military pedophilia in a way, preying on our young people."

The America's Army tournament was open to participants ages 17 and up, though teens under 17 could take part in the event if accompanied by a parent or guardian. A military spokesperson defended the event as just another opportunity for "people" to "become familiar" with the Army. Doublespeak aside, it doesn't take too much reading between the lines to realize the military actually sees it as a prime opportunity for teens to be recruited.


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[Nimbus]

I think the army is getting their target audiences mixed up. For people to enlist they would have to spend time away from their games during which time they would have to be physically active. "Gamer" dosn't exactly fit the description of a person who would jump at that opportunity.

 

[fix-the-spade]

I don't understand it, what ever happened to setting up a stall at a careers fair with two soldiers and an empty gun on the table?

Recruiting events like this strike me as dishonest at best, trying to give kids an idealised and sanitised view of what signing up will entail.

 

[johnman]

What and nobody in amercia knows about the army?
Events like these do not promote knowledge about the army- they just give a varnished veiw of it.

 

[spuddyt]

you have to be a moron in today's culture not to have become completely disillusioned with the idea of a real war, hell, even the COD games have those rather sobering quotes when you die.
(admittedly however, there are always ignorant people who will be mislead)

 

[Aardvark Soup]

Unfortunately there are enough people, especially in the US, who can actually be influenced by propaganda like America's army and might even join the military because of that. I completely agree with those veterans. I wish the medium of video games wouldn't be abused for things like this...

 

[raemiel]

Honestly I think it's disgusting that the US army developed AA as a tool for encouraging people to enlist. It's becoming a problem in Australia too as for some time now they've been running defence force advertisments which make it all seem like a game. The message of the advertisments is pretty much 'join the army and play with real tanks in a large game-like environment.'

 

[Mullahgrrl]

In sweden, things are much diffrent

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-Oab6nvJuE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK197dhf0Cg&feature=related

 

[raemiel]

In sweden, things are much diffrent

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-Oab6nvJuE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK197dhf0Cg&feature=related

Wow, the Swedish armed forces fight some weird battles.

 

[zacaron]

ah war vets the title confused me.
was thinking of an animal vet.

 

[Slayer_2]

Well, the Swedish ads still seem like a good way to get recruits. The classic "Are you good enough" approach. A fair bit more honest than making war seem like a game though.

 

[CoverYourHead]

Just thinking of how many times I've died horrible deaths in games even though my character can take like three bullets to the brain without death there is no WAY I'd be joining the military.

 

[Liverandbacon]

I think the army is getting their target audiences mixed up. For people to enlist they would have to spend time away from their games during which time they would have to be physically active. "Gamer" dosn't exactly fit the description of a person who would jump at that opportunity.

I'm not sure I fully agree. I mean, I spend a lot of time gaming, however last time I checked, I would get a 300 on the army physical fitness test (the marine one is a different matter). "Gamer" doesn't only apply to one small subset of people.

By the way, Mullahgrrl, is military service still mandatory for Swedish citizens to keep their citizenships if they live outside of the country? I'm asking because I really want to keep my citizenship, and wouldn't want to just lose it because of a law I was not aware of.

 

[stompy]

I find it disgusting that the US (and even Australian) army would show war in such a fashionable light... yes, they need larger numbers, but lying isn't the best way.

 

[mokes310]

It's a brilliant marketing tool...that said, I'm not sure that's the best way to recruit soldiers. Yes, the game is fun, but in real life, you don't respawn...

 

[Nurb]

You're forgetting it's easy for younger folks to get swept up in illusions of glory in combat.

"War is delightful to those who have not experienced it."
-- Desiderius Erasmus

 

[The Iron Ninja]

Before reading the thread: What? What the hell would veterinarians have against America's army?

After reading the thread: Oh... Well that makes a bit more sense.


I've never played the game, so I have no idea how propaganda heavy it is. But I've always thought that no matter what means they use, military recruitment targeting teenagers is a bit nasty.

 

[sheic99]

Before reading the thread: What? What the hell would veterinarians have against America's army?

After reading the thread: Oh... Well that makes a bit more sense.


I've never played the game, so I have no idea how propaganda heavy it is. But I've always thought that no matter what means they use, military recruitment targeting teenagers is a bit nasty.

The propaganda is so thick you can almost cut it with a knife. You can hear stories from people currently enlisted and you actually have to go through boot camp before you get to play online.

 

[bkd69]

WTF?

Did everybody start drinking the Jack Thompson juice or something?

Point the First: Playing x hours of AA doesn't turn anybody into mindless zombies that shamble towards the recruiting station the minute they turn 18, no more so than racing games turn players into drag racers, guitar hero players into guitarists, simcity players into city councilpeople, Madden players try out for the football team, or GTA players into carjackers. Did I miss anybody?

Point the Second: For those who say AA is nothing more than jingoistic propaganda, that's as may be, but it's not as if the game exists in a vacuum. There's no shortage of access to opposing viewpoints, and there are no laws against printing, broadcasting, internet distribution, or even physically demonstrating in person, support for opposing viewpoints. And I would also rate AA well below [insert Tom Clancy title here] on the jingoistic propaganda scale. And you do you think that there's an American who doesn't believe that our government lies? Go forth, Diogenes, and find him. Our entire nation was built upon a fundamental mistrust of government.

Point the Third: Does anybody really believe that AA is the most sanitized presentation of war in the market? Really? Allow me to point you towards Falcon 4.0, Harpoon, CoD, the previously mentioned Toma Clancy, and really, can you really get any more sanitized than Halo, GearsoW, Quake, or Unreal? And do you think there are players out there who are playing AA exclusively, either by parental mandate, or choice?

Point the Fourth: How did we get from 14, 15, and 16 year olds lying about their ages to go fight in WWII, to deciding that 18 year olds (or 17 year olds with one parent's consent) can't make an informed decision? You do realize that in America, 18 is the legal age to vote? Are you really suggesting that an 18 year old can't be trusted to make an informed decision as to whether or not to enlist, but can still be trusted to make an informed decision in the voting booth? And are you also suggesting that a parent who gives their consent for a 17 year old to enlist is guilty of child abuse or neglect or endangerment? And while you might make a case for the last charge, bear in mind that the rates of serious injuries or fatalities for teenagers is far higher on the roads than in the military.

Point the Fifth: Everybody realizes that to enlist in the army, you really have to, you know, actually enlist in the army? Which means going through Basic, which, while an incredibly simple task, it's still possible to wash out of? I mean, you might have to really, really work at it, but you can, in fact, wash out of Basic.

Quit drinking the JT koolaid, mkay?