Military ad campaign aimed at parents of potential recruits.

Byline: Drew Brown and Dune Lawrence

WASHINGTON _ Ask Mark Jones how he's doing and he says, "I'm living a dream."

Jones, 35, is the founder and CEO of his own VIP protection service. He's an avid skydiver, a competitive ice-sculptor, and a professional cook. And he says he picked up all these skills in one place _ the United States Army.

Like many American soldiers today, Jones, a former Army Ranger, had it in his blood: Both his parents were drill sergeants.

"My mother was an extremely big inspiration _ being a drill sergeant and running around in that Smokey the Bear hat," Jones said.

A new Pentagon recruiting ad campaign, featuring Jones and four other attractive role models, aims to persuade more parents to see the military as a winning option for their children. Parents matter because, as their children's' ultimate guidance counselors, they usually can make or break the deals that recruiters want their offspring to sign.

Most parents today, however, view military service as a last resort, according to a 2002 Pentagon survey, far behind options such as continuing school and finding a job. The exceptions tend to be parents like Jones's who've served in uniform themselves, and their numbers are ...