The ASVAB is a three-hour exam for military recruits that's also been administered in high schools throughout the nation since the 1970s. Many educators call it a useful tool for helping students decide on careers — military or civilian.

Get that? It is an exam for the purpose of garnering military recruits. The results are usually given to military recruiters who then... CALL you or, if you're a parent, your child.

Cara's father, Jay Hollenbeck, believes that school districts should inform parents before their children take an exam that could lead to a visit from a military recruiter. At the very least, the Army veteran says, parents should be fully informed about the ASVAB and included in any decision to share results with the military.

"If a 17-year-old kid is interested in the military, they should go with their parents" to speak with a recruiter, Hollenbeck said.

The article from the San Antonio paper shows that even the administrators at a number of the schools don't understand that this is a MILITARY RECRUITING TOOL.

Last year, the Department of Defense spent $10 million to test 631,163 students. Nationally, more than half the students who took it last year had their scores released to recruiters — a decision made at the school or school district level, often without parents' knowledge.

Arendt said the military doesn't keep track of how many students sign up after taking the ASVAB, but he doesn't think there is a direct link.

"A recruiter will probably give you a call if you have a qualifying score," Arendt said.

Uh. Yeah! That's why, first, students should find out if the results are given to recruiters, and if they are, don't TAKE THE TEST.