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

US Dep't Of Commerce Hosts Hiring Our Heroes Job Fair For Veterans
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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.

ADVERTISEMENT

Itzel Hernandez

ADVERTISEMENT
Screenshot 2022-07-27 103340
ItzelHernandez_1/Instagram
ItzelHernandez_1/Instagram
ADVERTISEMENT

At the time she spoke with a United States Army recruiter, Itzel Hernandez was only 18 years old.

ADVERTISEMENT

After their conversation, Hernandez did something drastic— she enlisted in the militarry.

ADVERTISEMENT

Enlisting Sounded Easy Enough

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Screenshot 2022-07-27 103455
ItzelHernandez_1/Instagram
ItzelHernandez_1/Instagram
ADVERTISEMENT

According to Hernandez, the recruiter made it sound like enlisting in the army would be kind of a walk in the park.

ADVERTISEMENT

She was led to believe she wouldn't be deployed and would only have to "do field exercises once or twice a year."

ADVERTISEMENT

It Was A Lie

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Screenshot 2022-07-27 103756
ItzelHernandez_1/Instagram
ItzelHernandez_1/Instagram
ADVERTISEMENT

Soon after enlisting, Hernandez learned that what the recruiter told her wasn't exactly the truth.

ADVERTISEMENT

She was doing field exercises once a month and was told she was getting deployed to Iraq.

ADVERTISEMENT

A TikTok Video

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Untitled design (2)
itzelhernandez___/TikTok; ItzelHernandez_1/Instagram
itzelhernandez___/TikTok; ItzelHernandez_1/Instagram
ADVERTISEMENT

Showcasing her frustration with the system, Hernandez went to TikTok.

ADVERTISEMENT

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.

ADVERTISEMENT

"The Worst Decision Of My Life."

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Untitled design
itzelhernandez___/TikTok; ItzelHernandez_1/Instagram
itzelhernandez___/TikTok; ItzelHernandez_1/Instagram
ADVERTISEMENT

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."

ADVERTISEMENT

Needless to say, she wasn't thrilled.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Recruiter "Tricked" Her

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Inside A National Career Fairs Event Ahead Of Initial Jobless Claims
Anthony Lanzilote/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Anthony Lanzilote/Bloomberg via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

In her TikTok video, Hernandez made it seem as though she was tricked into enlisting.

ADVERTISEMENT

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."

ADVERTISEMENT

Hernandez Was Being Deployed

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
AAZkyeL
itzelhernandez___/TikTok
itzelhernandez___/TikTok
ADVERTISEMENT

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.

ADVERTISEMENT

In fact, in the 2022 video, she stated she was being deployed to Iraq the following year.

ADVERTISEMENT

Her TikTok Garnered Over 900 Comments

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Logo Photo Illustration
Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Since uploading the TikTok video on Jun 7, 2022, Hernandez has received over 900 comments.

ADVERTISEMENT

Some of the statements agree that military life isn't for everyone, and people shouldn't enlist lightly.

ADVERTISEMENT

"Military Life Is NOT For Everyone..."

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
kenny-eliason-IhsaTDKzdwg-unsplash
Kenny Eliason/Unsplash
Kenny Eliason/Unsplash
ADVERTISEMENT

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."

ADVERTISEMENT

They made it sound as though they agreed with what Hernandez said in her video.

ADVERTISEMENT

Feeling Differently Down The Line

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Screenshot 2022-07-27 105040
ItzelHernandez_1/Instagram
ItzelHernandez_1/Instagram
ADVERTISEMENT

It is no surprise that enlisting into the military definitely isn't for everyone.

ADVERTISEMENT

On her TikTok, some people told Hernandez that while she isn't enjoying life now, she might feel differently down the line.

ADVERTISEMENT

She Should Appreciate The Experience

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
US Army
Alex Kraus/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Alex Kraus/Bloomberg via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

One commenter wrote on the video, explaining that Hernandez may actually appreciate the experience once she's out.

ADVERTISEMENT

They wrote, "Only when you get out will you realize that those were probably the best years of your life."

ADVERTISEMENT

"Take Advantage..."

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Screenshot 2022-07-27 105601
itzelhernandez___/TikTok
itzelhernandez___/TikTok
ADVERTISEMENT

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.

ADVERTISEMENT

One commenter wrote, "Enjoy and take advantage of what the military can give you..."

ADVERTISEMENT

She Was Being Naive

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
cytonn-photography-ZJEKICY5EXY-unsplash
Cytonn Photography/Unsplash
Cytonn Photography/Unsplash
ADVERTISEMENT

The commenter went on, saying, "I assure you that you will succeed outside the military."

ADVERTISEMENT

They should have been nice, encouraging words for Hernandez to read. However, others were calling her out for being naive.

ADVERTISEMENT

She Should Have Realized It Wasn't Going To Be Easy

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Screenshot 2022-07-27 105751
itzelhernandez___/TikTok
itzelhernandez___/TikTok
ADVERTISEMENT

While some people were offered words of advice and encouragement, another group of commenters were calling Hernandez out for being naive.

ADVERTISEMENT

She should have realized what enlisting entailed— it wasn't a cakewalk.

ADVERTISEMENT

Head In The Clouds

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Screenshot 2022-07-27 105916
itzelhernandez___/TikTok
itzelhernandez___/TikTok
ADVERTISEMENT

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."

ADVERTISEMENT

Another told Hernandez to own up and take responsibility for her actions.

ADVERTISEMENT

"No One Can Make You Do Anything..."

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Federal President visits US forces in Grafenwoehr
Daniel Karmann/picture alliance via Getty Images
Daniel Karmann/picture alliance via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

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:

ADVERTISEMENT

"No one can make you do anything...We all make our own choices. Life is about taking responsibility for our actions."

ADVERTISEMENT

"...Little Hater"

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Screenshot 2022-07-27 110154
ItzelHernandez_1/Instagram
ItzelHernandez_1/Instagram
ADVERTISEMENT

Hernandez was having none of it, though. She knew what she was going through and how the experience was affecting her.

ADVERTISEMENT

Writing to all of the people who were calling her naive, she wrote, "Come walk in my shoes, little hater."

ADVERTISEMENT

Some People Agreed

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Screenshot 2022-07-27 110327
itzelhernandez___/TikTok
itzelhernandez___/TikTok
ADVERTISEMENT

Scrolling through the comments, there were also people who said they've experienced a similar situation.

ADVERTISEMENT

One commenter wrote, "My recruiter convinced my mom when I was 17. I told her a year in I hated it."

ADVERTISEMENT

Should Have Joined The Air Force Instead

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Screenshot 2022-07-27 110422
ItzelHernandez_1/Instagram
ItzelHernandez_1/Instagram
ADVERTISEMENT

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.

ADVERTISEMENT

The biggest reveal, though: she would rather have joined the United States Air Force!