Why should the Army be realistic?

Photo: Sergeant Niklas Ehlén/Combat Camera - Försvarets Bildbyrå

In today’s Svenska Dagbladet, the indignant cover story “uncovers” that the current recruitment campaign by the Swedish Armed Forces is unrealistic. TV ads show South African and Somalian actors pretenting to be Swedish soldiers, using the wrong kind of radar screens and in general showing an exaggerated macho image of life in the Swedish Army.
Well of course the ads are unrealistic. How else are they supposed to attract attention? Everybody else lies in advertising, so why shouldn’t the Army? Because it’s a serious part of society and career choices for young people should be based on facts, not emotions, say the critics.
Really? Since when have young people been motivated by facts? Or old people, for that matter? And I take issue with the opinion that military service is more serious than our psychological well-being. Why should it be okay for advertisers to mess with our personal fears and insecurities, but not with career choices? Companies have whole HR departments whose main objective it is to fool young people into thinking they do important work. Why is this okay, but not when the military uses the same trick?
Let young hotshots think they will be patrolling the Horn of Africa after graduation. Reality will catch up with them eventually. Please don’t beat their dreams out of them just yet.