Anti-recruiters should have student access

This editorial appeared in the Juneau Empire today
Web posted October 28, 2007

A decision as consequential as joining the military should be made carefully with a sober understanding of what serving our country entails.

That is why the Juneau Empire believes that when military recruiters visit Juneau-Douglas High School, members of Southeast Alaska Truth in Recruiting should be allowed in as well, to represent another point of view.

Recently, National Guard recruiter Sgt. Seth Beebe asked the Juneau School Board to restrict the anti-recruiting group's access to students. He pointed to a brochure distributed by the group that states: "The atmosphere in the military encourages rape, murder and other kinds of violence against civilian women."

Beebe said such brochures make for an uncomfortable atmosphere for recruiters, and this may be arguably true. But to deny access to the anti-recruiting group would be a disservice to the students.

Southeast Alaska Truth in Recruiting, a project of the Juneau chapter of Veterans for Peace, is staffed by veterans - or family members of veterans - who can share with students their own experiences of military life. The group can give students another perspective before making the life-changing decision to join the armed services.

What the anti-recruiters do is set up a table in the school's commons every time a recruiter visits, which is three times a year as allowed by the Juneau School Distinct. Members hand out literature and talk to the occasional student who stops by the table. The group isn't aggressively vying for the attention of the students or actively protesting the recruiters' presence on campus.

But some of the literature the group passes out is questionable, and actually serves to hurt the group's credibility.

The brochure Beebe singled out was addressed to young women and is full of inflammatory statements and strained logic. In one section, the flier implies that the U.S. military uses rape as a weapon, then cites United Nations figures on rape in the Congo.

Amy Paige, who heads Southeast Alaska Truth in Recruiting, acknowledges that the brochure was a misstep. The group receives its materials from outside organizations, such as the American Friends Service Committee, the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors and the War Resisters League. Paige said perhaps the controversial flier wasn't as fully vetted by her committee as it should have been.

The group has since pulled the flier. Paige said she'd like her group to address women's issues in a future pamphlet that's not perceived as a direct attack on the military. She pointed out that her group is made up of veterans or family members of veterans who "are not ready to smear the whole military."

Some in Paige's group believe recruiters shouldn't be in the schools at all. Nevertheless, the military offers future educational opportunities in the form of scholarships and vocational training. Students have every right to this information.

We support allowing recruiters on campus, but there needs to be a check against unscrupulous recruitment. Undoubtedly, our local recruiters are upfront with students about the pros and cons of military service. Nevertheless, our military is stretched thin - fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan - and the pressure on recruiters to keep the ranks full is undeniable.

Both sides need to be presented to students, but Southeast Alaska Truth in Recruiting needs to realize incendiary smears against the military hurt the group's credibility when it claims to "offer balanced information." The group needs to stick to sharing its veterans' military experiences with students and providing information on actual scholarship rates and terms of enlistment.

It's clear both sides don't want the other talking to students, but ultimately the students need to make a choice on whether to serve or not. As long as there's a fair debate, we trust the students will make the right personal decision.

Letter to the Editor: Women face risks if they join military

Web posted October 28, 2007

Whether the National Guard recruiters like it or not, young women and their parents should know that thousands of American women in uniform are being raped by their fellow soldiers. In 2005, the Veterans Administration released a 2001 study on the National Guard and Reserves. It found that 60 percent of women Reservists and National Guard had experienced some kind of sexual trauma (Washington Post on Sept. 30, 2005).

Sexual assault is so pervasive that the VA has a name for it - Military Sexual Trauma. Female soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of military sexual trauma were on the "NOW with David Brancaccio" program on Sept. 7 (pbs.org). Women are dying, losing legs and arms, and suffering brain injuries in Iraq. It's a terrible injustice that they have to watch their backs with their own countrymen.

Personal stories of military women in Iraq are in "The private war of female soldiers" by Helen Benedict (Salon.com, on March 7). One story tells of three female soldiers who died of dehydration because they refused to drink liquids late in the day. They were afraid of being raped by male soldiers if they walked to the latrines after dark. That story is in the brochure distributed at the high school.

Women report that if the commanding officer has a zero-tolerance for sexual abuse, it doesn't happen. Unlike civilians, soldiers can't choose where they work and they can't quit.

Speaking the truth isn't being against the troops. The troops include women. Juneau School Board member Margo Waring was doing her job. (Waring said in a recent meeting that military recruitment is limited to three days at Juneau-Douglas High School because it does not serve the Juneau School District's education mission. She also said the war is seen as controversial.)

Young women need this information to make an informed decision. They must weigh the benefits against the risks.

Barbara Belknap

Juneau

A Recruiter's Dream

Editorial * Chicago Tribune * October 14, 2007

The immigration debate tends to be dominated by the hard-liners on either side. There are a lot of folks, though, who have some ambivalence about the whole thing. They don't condone breaking the law, but they recognize that illegal immigrants came here for an honest purpose: to provide for their families.

That makes things especially thorny when you're dealing with the children of those immigrants. Oftentimes they're kids who were brought here as toddlers and know only one land: the U.S.

Those kids are the target of the proposed The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act (for short, the Dream Act). It would give those youngsters six years of conditional legal residency in which to attend college. If they earned a two-year degree or finished two years toward a bachelor's degree, they would be eligible for a green card, allowing them to live and work here legally and to apply for citizenship.
Read entire editorial

America's Army recruiting game coming to arcades

Project YANO members have been looking at information on the new Army branded coin-op arcade game. Below is a press release from the company that is marketing it, followed by a review and photo of the machine. Note the phrasing used: The partnership will "create a new communication channel with young Americans," and the America's Army game has "penetrated culture."

I know some of you will feel sick reading about this, but it's important for us to be fully aware of such things and to educate the larger peace movement about the consequences of not confronting the Pentagon's "penetration" of our culture via schools and the mass marketing of militarism. While most people are focusing on guarding the front door, the burglar is coming in the back.

Perhaps some of you can formulate ideas for dealing with this latest development.

Rick Jahnkow www.projectyano.org (http://www.projectyano.org)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GLOBAL VR® TO DEPLOY AMERICA'S ARMY AT AAMA GALA
SAN JOSE, Calif – (July 19, 2007) – GLOBAL VR today announced that it plans to unveil the latest addition to the company's 2007 line-up of exciting titles, AMERICA'S ARMY . The AMERICA'S ARMY coin-operated game is based on the extremely popular AMERICA'S ARMY game brand which is developed by the U.S. Army and includes PC, console and cell phone games, and other branded properties. The “green label”, coin-operated AMERICA'S ARMY game is the result of a unique partnership between the U.S. Army and GLOBAL VR. The partnership which encompasses the development and manufacturing of an official U.S. Army game for the arcade market, will create a new communication channel with young Americans.
Working hand-in-hand with U.S. Army Subject Matter Experts and with the full cooperation of units of the U.S. Army, the coin-operated AMERICA'S ARMY is a realistic and engaging game centered on exciting training exercises, and includes a significant amount of authentic Army videos and other information designed to immerse the player in the Army culture.

“AMERICA'S ARMY is an arcade style training game based on actual Army training exercises designed to challenge Soldiers to hone their skills. Players are rewarded for teamwork, proper use of the Rules of Engagement, accuracy, and target identification,” says Mike Kruse, GLOBAL VR Producer. “The game's many marksmanship exercises are entirely target shooting challenges which makes this unique product appropriate for many location types that do not desire simulated combat games.” Mike went on to comment, “Being a veteran myself, I can honestly report that AMERICA'S ARMY is a highly authentic depiction of Army training exercises and the Army's unique organizational culture…down to the drill sergeant who is constantly by your side to bring out the best performance from each player.”

AMERICA'S ARMY is designed for one or two players and consists of a series of eight training mini-games. Each game is designed with a dynamic difficulty system making the game easy for new recruits and more difficult for experienced players. Bonuses are also important as they reward players with extra experiences and point rewards for jobs well done. Leader boards for each mini-game add fuel to the competition, and give players incentives to beat the top score.

We are so proud to be working directly with the U.S. Army on this project,” stated Jim DeRose GLOBAL VR President and CEO. “To have earned the Army's confidence throughout the game's development and delivered a coin-op game that fits the market needs of most video equipment operators is a huge accomplishment.

We are convinced that the cabinet's small footprint, outstanding graphics, “green label” rating, and value pricing will make the game a natural for all locations.”
For information about other GLOBAL VR products, please visit _http://www.globalvr.com/_http://www.globalvr.com/) or contact your local GLOBAL VR distributor or sales representative.
###

About the America 's Army Brand
Launched in July 2002, the America's Army game has become one of the most popular computer games in the world. America's Army has penetrated popular culture and is one of the most recognizable game brands as a result of its unique inside perspective on the U.S. Army and exciting gameplay. As the game's popularity continues to grow with each new release, the Army has expanded the brand through a variety of products to include console and wireless games, America's Army merchandise such as t-shirts and action figures, as well as training applications for use within the military and government sectors. The America 's Army game for the PC can be found online at www.americasarmy.com.

About GLOBAL VR: Founded in 1998 and headquartered in San Jose , California , GLOBAL VR® is one of the world's leading manufacturers of coin-operated video games based on home gaming technology. Through the development of proprietary technology, GLOBAL VR is able to leverage the massive investment in development of PC and console games by third party developers by making them suitable for play in out-of-home locations. Development agreements are in place with some of the world's leading game publishers including Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS ), Ubisoft, and Atari (NASDAQ:ATAR). These agreements provide GLOBAL VR rights to create coin-op versions of popular home games such as EA SPORTS™ PGA
TOUR® GOLF , Underground, NASCAR, Blazing Angels, Beach Head and Operation Blockade. In addition, GLOBAL VR also develops and manufactures products previously marketed under the UltraCade label including Global Arcade Classics and Ultrapin. More information on GLOBAL VR can be found at _http://www.globalvr.com/_ (http://www.globalvr.com/) .

America's Army recruiting game coming to arcades The US Army has developed a stand-up arcade version of its video-game "America's Army" and it will seed it in arcades around the country. This is straight out of a science fiction novel, but what would be even more skiffy is if they were to put these in arcades outside of the US. I'm surprised they're charging to play these games -- the natural thing would be to make these the only free games in the arcade, so the poorest and most desperate kids would dominate them, absorbing messages about signing up for Der Surge.

The “green label”, coin-operated AMERICA’S ARMY game is the result of a unique partnership between the U.S. Army and GLOBAL VR. The partnership which encompasses the development and manufacturing of an official U.S. Army game for the arcade market, will create a new communication channel with young Americans.

Working hand-in-hand with U.S. Army Subject Matter Experts and with the full cooperation of units of the U.S. Army, the coin-operated AMERICA’S ARMY is a realistic and engaging game centered on exciting training exercises, and includes a significant amount of authentic Army videos and other information designed to immerse the player in the Army culture.

_Link_ (http://arcadeheroes.com/2007/07/20/americas-army-coming-to-arcades/)
(via _Gizmodo_ (http://gizmodo.com/) )

Immigration and Military Enlistment: Pentagon's Push for the DREAM Act Heats Up

Committee Opposed to Militarism and the Draft Articles from Draft NOtices, July — September 2007

By Jorge Mariscal

"The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors, or DREAM, provision in the immigration bill is expected to help boost military recruiting.” — Bill Carr, Acting Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Military Personnel Policy.-Full Article

"I've been here almost eight years. I feel like I belong to this country," he said. "People like me, we want to serve the country. We love this country. We don't have papers. We can't afford to go to college. The military is the perfect option for us.” − Sebastián, undocumented student from Mexico

In early June, a two-pronged media cycle dealing with the issue of non-citizen soldiers and military recruitment slowly began to materialize. Following on the heels of an internal Pentagon study that reported a general decrease in interest in military service among young Americans, the debate about the role of non-citizens in the U.S. military intensified.

In the Washington Post, reporter Brigid Schulte filed a feature story titled, “Why Won't We Let Them Fill the Ranks?”, in which she described the willingness of many undocumented youth to enlist. Schulte’s piece is filled with enthusiastic comments from undocumented youth who are eager to sign up.

At one point, she depicts a group of undocumented workers cheering as the invasion of Iraq begins, apparently because the war would afford them the opportunity to enlist.

As immigration reform failed to move forward in Congress, Pentagon spokesmen made public statements about their hope that at least the DREAM Act part of the legislation would pass. In an article published by the American Forces Press Service, Acting Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Carr stated, “Talk is already taking place to see if at least the DREAM provision of the stalled bill can proceed." Full article