Sure, I'll tell you of a couple more "databases" - search pages such as Fastweb.com, and Monster.com. These pages are for scholarships and jobs...a couple of things that the military provides! You or your kids go on these pages and build a profile. If you do not de-select the military options, you just sent your name, address, and phone number to the military. Then you get a phone call or visit from a recruiter and cuss them out for doing their job - following up on a possible lead. Another database, this one you CANNOT blame on Pres. Bush is called Selective Service. At age 18, no secret, men are required to register have been for what, 40 years + now??? Bam! Guess who gets the info? I dunno how the rest of you found this site, but the page told me that "we noticed you came here searching about no child left behind" Uh oh...I might've found another database! It's called marketing - it's everywhere! As far as age limits...no one under 17 can join the military. Unless they are emancipated, there are very few exceptions to allow a 17 year old to join without their parent's signing consent!
True, some recruiters are aggressive and may even be coercive, but the majority aren't. If you tell most recruiters you really aren't interested in joining, they'll probably just go to the next name/number on the list. If you give them the 2 minutes they ask for on the phone, you will probably disqualify most 18 year olds by either medical history or legal history! IMO if a lead were to be generated by a person going on a website such as military.com, usmilitary.com etc, and entering all of their contact info...they are begging the military recruiters to contact them and tell them about the benefits of military life! No recruiter can force ANYONE to join. Unfortunately, as I said, a few are aggressive and have tricked some people who couldn't process the information for themselves into joining. But in 99+% of the cases of a recruiter processing an applicant, a person cannot be forced to join! If you don't want to join, don't. Don't provide your SSN. Don't take them your Birth Certificate. Don't take the ASVAB. Don't get in their car and ride to MEPS! Even if you do all this, join, and later decide that you don't want to do it...don't! Until you do the final swear-in right before they put you on the bus to Boot Camp, you can simply walk-away! True, they'll say anything to get you to go, one recruiter was taped saying that you'll be declared a deserter, and go to jail, etc...not possible unless you do the final swear-in for Boot Camp! Thousand's of people willing join all branches of the military, serve, live, take advantage of the bennies and walk-away every year! Of course, very little is said about them! All you hear is the bad stuff, because that is what makes media ratings! Believe it or not, many people even serve 20 yrs in the military and retire without so much as an injury!
Sorry, I didn't mean to ramble...hope I answered a few questions here!

Originally posted by Evil Genius
The recruiters are probably getting the contact info for kids that they've already talked to on campus, who have shown an interest in the military. I highly doubt they are cold-calling the entire school directory.

Shortly after we enrolled our son in the 11th grade at a new school in a new state, we started receiving phone calls for him from military recruiters. We asked him if recruiters had visited the school and talked to the students and did he give them his phone number? He said that he never saw recruiters at the school and has never and would never give one his phone number.

We had lived in two other states before this one and had older children who had gone through high school there. We never received a call from a recruiter for them.

It had to have been the registration in the new school.

[edit on 8/30/2008 by Aislin]