Updated images of Rambo, Iron Eagle, and G.I. Joe became the male warrior caricatures in American youth culture, and Demi Moore joined the male images as G.I. Jane. In tight job markets and the last years of the cold war, military recruiters had a fairly easy task. This situation was not to continue. The U.S. emerged as the sole superpower. A rejuvenated U.S. economy allowed the demand for workers to surpass the demand for jobs.
Military recruiters face new problems.
Enlistment is down. Still, hundreds of thousands of young people continue to enlist. Women, minorities, immigrants, and the poorly educated are the primary targets of recruitment efforts Rites of Passage Young people, males and females, still use military service as a rite of passage to move from childhood to adult status and privilege. Much of Hitler's success is said to have been due to his ability to appeal to manhood, heroism, and recognition. The new military, especially in its mass media advertisements, serves as a conduit for the same themes.