Woman Says A Recruiter “Tricked” Her Into Enlisting In The Army Starting Debate Online
When Itzel Hernandez was 18 years old, a United States Army recruiter told her joining the military who be the best decision of her life.
According to Hernandez's TikTok videos, it was quite the opposite.
Military Recruiters
It is not uncommon for military recruiters to venture to high schools, looking to speak with students who are graduating about what they have planned for their futures.
For some, joining the military seems like a great idea.
Itzel Hernandez
At the time she spoke with a United States Army recruiter, Itzel Hernandez was only 18 years old.
After their conversation, Hernandez did something drastic— she enlisted in the militarry.
Enlisting Sounded Easy Enough
According to Hernandez, the recruiter made it sound like enlisting in the army would be kind of a walk in the park.
She was led to believe she wouldn't be deployed and would only have to "do field exercises once or twice a year."
It Was A Lie
Soon after enlisting, Hernandez learned that what the recruiter told her wasn't exactly the truth.
She was doing field exercises once a month and was told she was getting deployed to Iraq.
A TikTok Video
Showcasing her frustration with the system, Hernandez went to TikTok.
In her video, she said, "My recruiter telling me how I will make the best decision of my life by joining the military." It was a very sarcastic message.
"The Worst Decision Of My Life."
Her video continued with clips of Hernandez during her service, with a voiceover stating, "My recruiter lying to me and making me make the worst decision of my life."
Needless to say, she wasn't thrilled.
The Recruiter "Tricked" Her
In her TikTok video, Hernandez made it seem as though she was tricked into enlisting.
When asked how they "tricked" her, Hernandez said they told her she'd "never deploy and only do field exercises once or twice a year."
Hernandez Was Being Deployed
It was that comment that had many people beginning to ask questions and discuss military life in general since Hernandez was clearly not having a good time.
In fact, in the 2022 video, she stated she was being deployed to Iraq the following year.
Her TikTok Garnered Over 900 Comments
Since uploading the TikTok video on Jun 7, 2022, Hernandez has received over 900 comments.
Some of the statements agree that military life isn't for everyone, and people shouldn't enlist lightly.
"Military Life Is NOT For Everyone..."
One commenter wrote, "Doesn't matter how strong you are before or what your morals are, the military life is NOT for everyone. The military has a horrible attrition rate."
They made it sound as though they agreed with what Hernandez said in her video.
Feeling Differently Down The Line
It is no surprise that enlisting into the military definitely isn't for everyone.
On her TikTok, some people told Hernandez that while she isn't enjoying life now, she might feel differently down the line.
She Should Appreciate The Experience
One commenter wrote on the video, explaining that Hernandez may actually appreciate the experience once she's out.
They wrote, "Only when you get out will you realize that those were probably the best years of your life."
"Take Advantage..."
Even with the words of encouragement flooding in, Hernandez still wasn't overly thrilled with her circumstances, even if they'd pay off in the long run, literally.
One commenter wrote, "Enjoy and take advantage of what the military can give you..."
She Was Being Naive
The commenter went on, saying, "I assure you that you will succeed outside the military."
They should have been nice, encouraging words for Hernandez to read. However, others were calling her out for being naive.
She Should Have Realized It Wasn't Going To Be Easy
While some people were offered words of advice and encouragement, another group of commenters were calling Hernandez out for being naive.
She should have realized what enlisting entailed— it wasn't a cakewalk.
Head In The Clouds
What person wrote, "You must've been in the clouds if you signed up without believing you'd get deployed...that's literally the point of training."
Another told Hernandez to own up and take responsibility for her actions.
"No One Can Make You Do Anything..."
In her video, it sounds as though Hernandez blames the recruiter. The truth is, she didn't need to sign up. At least, that's what another comment said:
"No one can make you do anything...We all make our own choices. Life is about taking responsibility for our actions."
"...Little Hater"
Hernandez was having none of it, though. She knew what she was going through and how the experience was affecting her.
Writing to all of the people who were calling her naive, she wrote, "Come walk in my shoes, little hater."
Some People Agreed
Scrolling through the comments, there were also people who said they've experienced a similar situation.
One commenter wrote, "My recruiter convinced my mom when I was 17. I told her a year in I hated it."
Should Have Joined The Air Force Instead
With all of the comments rolling through, Hernandez made a point to reiterate that while she was naive, she still thinks the recruiter skirted around the truth.
The biggest reveal, though: she would rather have joined the United States Air Force!
