East Bay teens say opportunity, purpose behind decision to join Marines

For many high school students, the next step after graduation is college. For three young recruits training to join the U.S. Marine Corps, the decision to enlist came down to opportunity, purpose and a path forward.The recruits, including two who are 18 years old, spoke with CBS News Bay Area at a Marine Corps recruiting office near San Ramon Valley High School in Danville. Their reasons for signing up offer a glimpse into how the military is reaching young people at a time when recruiting remains a challenge across the armed forces.A Pentagon youth poll found that just 10% of Americans ages 16 to 21 said they would consider military service. Separately, an estimate cited in the report found that 3% of U.S. teens planned to join the military after high school, compared with 53% who planned to attend a four-year college.Brayan Armenta, 18, said he had not seriously considered joining the military until a recruiter approached him at his high school and asked what he planned to do after g