Air Force

   
        Being the youngest branch of the military the Air Force has had less time to perfect its recruitment strategies than the other branches.  Still the Air Force is has had major success in its recruitment especially in recent years with the war going on.  The Air Force is a very different Branch of the military in that most of it's personnel are not actually in combat zones. That doesn't make they're job any less dangerous however. Contrary to popular belief the Air Force is possible more dangerous in the fact that they are surrounded all day by very large and very deadly machines. Despite this the opinion of most in society is that the Air Force is the least dangerous of the three branches. This is a rumor that the Air Forces uses to its advantage very well.
         Unlike the other branches who tend to go after possible recruits who are physically blessed, the perfect Air Force Cadet has to have great strength of mind. They need to have good critical thinking skills and sound reasoning. They require physical fitness like the other branches, but because they are involved more in intelligence gathering and guidance they have to be the best thinkers. The recruitment strategies therefore appeal more to those with a higher intellect and a lesser physical ability.  Recruiters tend to be less pushy and more logical in their rhetoric. They appeal to people's logos more than their pathos, something that is not really found in the other branches.  They are very open to who they recruit. They will talk to anyone unlike some branches (cough cough marines) and they tend to be less wordy. The meat heads that end up in the Army usually don't find the appeal to the Air force because the recuiters don't offer them the usual pathos appealers, such as honor and patriotism. Instead the recruiters cut the bull and give you the statistics.
          Often recruiters for the Air Force give better reasoning than the other three. This is because they want to appeal to people who can reason better.  They talk about how the Air Force is safer to your health because they are typically outside the combat zone. Often the discuss how their is better job security in the Air Force because soldiers in their respective fields are dying as often as other branches are.  Another big one is jobs after their military career. Often times the jobs that are used in the Air Force (mechanic, engineering, air-traffic control, flying) are jobs that are always in demand and pay extremely high. The oppurtunities of success are much higher coming out of the Air Force and they make sure you know that. Because all the flying is done by Officers, most people would rather join those ranks. This means a free education to most people.
          When the airforce shows a commercial on TV they don't typically show it on the same shows that the other branches do. They aren't often shown during a football game, but anyone who has seen the History or Discovery Channels can tell you that  they are in almost ever break.  They're latest strain of commercials show soldiers in combat in what looks like a video game. They are being led by a team of people in what looks like a space ship. However as the commercial progresses the landscape becomes more realistic and a voice says "IT ISN'T SCIENCE FICTION" in a deep commanding tone. This is very appealing to the types of people the Air Force wants. People with imagination and who tend to be readers. They want people who aren't necessarily the adventures but who can help guide soldiers like one would a character in a video game or story. They want people who can see something coming and are able to give the soldiers proper direction on how to react. Video gamer's and readers of science fiction are stereotypically the types of people i just described
            Another famous commercial, references the actual flying that the Air Force does.  this is the only time I actually can see ethos being used. They appeal to our inner child by saying that if you join the Air Force you can fly, or be an astronaut in space. While this is often untrue because the majority of the Air Force actually work on computers as guides and analysts, they present themselves as giving you the opportunity.  They reference flying by saying the words above, all over and over. They keep the viewer staring at they screen as they shoe pilots doing cool risky maneuvers.  All of these things create feelings of excitment and make people want to do cool stuff like that too. they join up and end up a mechanic instead... but no one really thinks about That now do they.
              The Air Force is clever. They really don't have that much to offer as far as honor and lory so they make up for it in other ways. They use logic to back up their claims and appeal to peoples egos as far as their intelligence.  They show grand stunts and tell you that could be you. They give opportunities for afterward and keep up the idea that they are the safest branch.  For being around for such a short time the Air force has become very skilled in their recruitment rhetoric and styling.