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Dear friend in peace, As you know Pax Christi Long Island has been working for several years with other peace groups
to protest the military's aggressive recruiting strategies, preying on the young people and minorities in our communities. A large
demonstration is being planned for Saturday, May 2nd at 2pm at the Franklin Mills Mall just outside of Philadelphia, PA, home
of the Army Experience Center, a 15,000 sq.ft. army recruiting center in the mall. The Army is using this new exhibit
as a model for other recruiting centers. The exhibit is like a huge arcade. Kids (as young as 13) can see
what it's like to sit inside a real humvee, tank, apache helicopter and get first hand experience killing
the enemy, and being killed themselves (not sure how that works). To get
a good idea of this project ,just google The Army Experience Center in Philadelphia
and you will see why it is important to demonstrate at this site. The long term goal is to shut down this center and make sure another one does not open anywhere else.
Since last summer's mall tour, we have gained some insights regarding mall actions and should feel right
at home there. If you are interested in going to the demo, please contact Karen of the Suffolk Peace Network. She
will arrange a van or bus to go, depending on the number of participants. Please let her know as soon as
possible so arrangements can be made. You can call Karen at 631-875-8647 (leave a message) or email her at
rksrc2001@yahoo.com For those who are not up to speed for marches, this would be less of a challenge as the bus would bring
us directly to and from the mall.
Dear members and supporters,
In the upcoming weeks, Veterans
For Peace Long Island will be focusing upon “reminding” the approximate 24 high schools** (numbers change from
year to year) on Long Island that administers the ASVAB that they have a responsibility to protect the privacy of their students.
Here is some background information that you should know.
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Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)
High School
Juniors and Seniors from across the country are encouraged by school counselors to take this 3 ½ hour test (termed
a Career Exploration Program) because they are told it will help them decide what career to pursue later in life.
In actuality, the military uses ASVAB to do targeted recruitment of young people. Recruiters give special attention to students
in the 11th or 12th grade who meet minimum standards - what they refer to as "pre-qualified leads." They use test
information (scores, name, address, etc.) to identify and reach young people they hope to sign up. Recruiters contact these
young people by letters, phone calls, and visits to home and school. Students may receive calls from recruiters even if they
say they are not interested in joining the military.
Do students have to give personal information on the test
form?
Yes, if the student wants the test to be scored. Before taking the test, students are required to sign a
form (known as a "waiver") that allows the military to keep any information provided on the form (contact information
and scores) and to use it in various ways. If the student does not include all the information asked for and sign the waiver,
the test won't be processed.
Who gets test scores?
The military grades the test. They will send
a copy of the scores to the student and the school counselor. In most cases - unless a school decides not to allow the release
of any scores to military recruiters - local military recruiters are automatically given a copy of scores and the other information
provided on the forms. Local recruiters receive a form known as the ASVAB Recruiter Service Printout. It contains a list of
students who took the test, their scores, contact information (name, grade, sex, address, and phone number), and information
about the students' plans after graduation.
Can a school give the ASVAB test without having scores released
to local military recruiters?
Yes. Schools have eight options regarding the release of test information. At one
end of the spectrum is "Option 8. No release to recruiters." Recruiters would not receive a printout of students'
scores. The default option for schools is known as "Option 1. No special instructions." Under this option, recruiters
are free to obtain scores and use them however they wish. In between these two extremes are a number of options specifying
when recruiters may receive full information or whether they will be given access to phone numbers. Unfortunately, school
officials are usually not made aware of options other than the default (Option 1).
· If your school gives
the ASVAB, ask that students be clearly told that they don't have to take it. The school should be asked to provide students
with some other place to go if classrooms are being used for testing.
· Ask your principal to protect students'
privacy by keeping the test results from recruiters. This means that the school must tell the military before the test is
given that it is choosing "ASVAB Option 8." If a school chooses this option, students who want their scores to go
to the military can still permit them to go to recruiters on an individual basis. (The military provides a special permission
form for such requests.) However, it doesn't work the other way around. If a school chooses to release information to
recruiters, this information will be handed over for all students.
If you would like to work with our Truth in
Recruiting Committee (TRC) on this and other projects to protect our children from high powered and oftentimes deceitful recruiting
practices, please contact me or Karen Sackett (our TRC coordinator) at rksrc@optonline.net. We could use your help. Talk and complaining gets us nowhere. It’s
time for action.
We would like to have a meeting some time early next week if possible.
We do it because
it’s right. We do it because we must.
Mac Bica
Coordinator, VFPLI
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Brentwood Sonderling
Baldwin HS
Centereach HS
Central Islip HS
Commack HS
Connetquot HS
Deer Park HS
E L Vandermeiden
HS
East Hampto HS
East Islip HS
East Meadow HS
General Douglas McArthur HS
Hauppauge HS
Lindernhurst
HS
Miller Place HS
Newfield HS
Sachem HS East Campus
Schem HS North Lake
Shelter Isladn HS
Valley
Stream Central HS
Valley Stream South HS
West Hempstead HS
West Hampton Beach HS
Smithtown Christian School
HS
Dear Peace friend, Here is a direct action you can take to alert parents
of high school students that their contact information is delivered to the Dept. of Defense, as built into the “No Child
Left Behind” regulations.
This is the time of year when the new school calendar and packet of school
information arrive in your mailbox. Somewhere in there might be a notice about “Release of Directory Information to
the Military.”
This notice will explain briefly that contact information relating
to high school students will be given to the Department of Defense, unless a written statement by a parent or guardian is
submitted to the school by a particular date.
Once the military recruiters
receive the contact information, they can be relentless in their mission to sign up recruits. The Department of Defense relies
heavily upon high school students to fill the major portion of their quota of recruits each year. The DOD
goal is to sign up students in the Delayed Enlistment Program and then have the students take the official enlistment step
as soon as possible after graduation. .
Problems:
a) Information
about the opt-out is not easy to locate either in the calendar or among the many notices
sent and many parents are not even on the lookout for it. b) Some parents may feel uneasy writing a letter to the school, fearing that
there might be repercussions.
Important
Action You Can Take
Visit your high school on open school night and distribute copies of the flyer (see attachment) which has questions and answers and a sample opt-out
form as well as information about the ASVAB test. A Spanish version will be available soon.
Open school night is our best opportunity to reach the most number of parents and students with this information that can actually be a matter of life or
death.
Check your school calendar or call your school to
find out the deadline for the opt-out form in your district. Add that date to the flyer so that parents have that very important information.
If you
would like additional information or help distributing the flyer, call Sheila (631 427-5823)
or Karen( 631 875 8647)
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