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http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?cl=9024717
Local news reporters uncovered a situation in Houston. From reports in the peace community, it is pretty certain that similar things happen throughout the country. The Army has a Delayed Entry Program where young people can sign up, but if they change their mind, they are allowed to stop at anytime. (Probably the choice given to them because they are so young.)
But, at least one recruiter in Houston was telling students that if they did not follow through and stay in the Army, that they would lose any chance of college loans, be AWOL, and arrested if they were stopped for a speeding ticket.
The news report (at Yahoo via a local news station) says that similar complaints happened 3 years ago, and the Army promised to re-train recruiters. Also, that complaints against recruiters have drastically increased.
It was interesting that the report started with the background that America is in two foreign wars. Difficult to comprehend.
To learn more yourself about recruiter techniques, or to take action in your community to help young people make better choices than war, take a look at the Counter Military Recruitment section over at the War Resisters’ League: http://www.warresisters.org/counterrecruitment
Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, Anti-War, counter-recruiting, Iraq, News, US Politics, war Tagged: | afghanistan, Army, Recruitment
Our school does not allow recruiters to come in, even though most of our students are 18 or older, and if a recuruiter calls us, we demand that they speak to the student’s parent before we’ll allow them to speak to the student again. We warn our kids not to sign anything until it’s been looked over by more than one adult, and if the recruiter won’t allow them to take papers home, there are NOT to sign!