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NOTE: This article on the NNOMY website is not an endorsement of the NGYCP but rather an illustration of how marginalized U.S. American youth are directly profiled to fill the ranks of the military  services based on their vulnerability to the criminal and military societal complexes that exist within a vigorous financially based culture. Additionally, as indicated in this Brookings report, they are deemed available and thus "economically indispensable," for militarized vocations due to low achievement levels and their socio-economic conditions.

May 1, 2007 / Hugh B. Price / The Brookings Institution - Executive Summary: A decade ago, the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future issued a prescient warning in its report, entitled What Matters Most:

“There has been no previous time in history when the success, indeed the survival, of nations and people has been tied so tightly to their ability to learn. Today’s society has little room for those who cannot read, write and compute proficiently; find and use resources; frame and solve problems; and continually learn new technologies, skills, and occupations. . . . In contrast to 20 years ago, individuals who do not succeed in school have little chance of finding a job or contributing to society—and societies that do not succeed at education have little chance of success in a global economy.”

Demographic trends indicate that the U.S. economy will rely increasingly upon Latinos and African Americans because together they, and especially the former, will comprise a steadily growing proportion of the adult workforce. By 2020, roughly 30 percent of the working-age population in the United States will be Latino and African American. Yet these economically indispensable population groups, along with low-income youngsters, consistently lag farthest behind academically.

As recently as 2005, roughly half of fourth and eighth grade black and Latino students performed Below Basic in reading and math according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Actually, the imperative of boosting achievement transcends ethnicity. White students far outnumber those from other ethnic groups and constitute over one-third of all youngsters scoring in the lowest quintile. Compounding these academic gaps, distressingly large numbers of Latino and African-American youngsters drop out of high school.

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The mainstream peace and justice movement is beginning to see that countering military recruitment deserves a higher priority and should be viewed in strategic, rather than tactical terms. Resisting the unprecedented and relentless militarization of American youth transcends the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Countering military recruitment confronts an ugly mix of a distinctively American brand of institutionalized violence, racism, militarism, nationalism, classism, and sexism.  It gets to the root of the problem.

Confronting the work of military recruiters, particularly in the nation’s public schools will provide a catalyst for activists to shift gears from the traditional antiwar tactics of vigils, protests, sit-ins, and CD actions to the long-term strategy of opposing the militarization of youth.  The two are not necessarily mutually exclusive. One however, treats symptoms; the other addresses causes.

Simply put, the strategy of the counter-recruiting movement is to put the imperial armed forces of the United States into a kind of vice that squeezes new recruits from the ranks.  One end of the vice is the near universal rejection of the return of the military draft.  Remember how the House voted 402-2 against reinstating the draft back in October of 2004?  Bringing back the draft is unthinkable.  Conscription would result in demonstrations of millions that would ultimately end the war and result in a political revolution.  The crushing steel on the opposite side of the vice is the counter-recruitment movement, aided by an American public that increasingly recognizes illegal and immoral wars.

Counter recruitment activists are putting on the squeeze.  They’re doing it by learning about high school policies that favor military recruiters and they’re organizing their communities to change it.  They’re providing youth with training, employment and educational alternatives to military service.  They’re engaged with community leaders and the press in promoting a greater awareness of encroaching militarism.  And they’re being successful across the country.

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01 May 2006 / Kevin Ramirez and Steve Morse / War Resisters' International  - 2005 has been a pivotal year for counter-recruiters as the Army, Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Navy Reserve and Air National Guard all missed their recruiting goals by thousands, effectively bringing about the worst year in recruiting since 1979!

Last year also saw an explosion of interest and membership in the movement to end the war in Iraq, particularly among those most at risk of being recruited in that war: American youth aged 18-22. Despite the barrage of war-promoting video games, fashion, music, and pop culture aimed at youth, young adults can't ignore the daily news of their peers dying in war. This forces them to put themselves in their peers' combat boots and wonder, "would I ever sign up for this?" The growing answer among high school and college students seems to be a resounding 'NO"!

The strength of our movement last year was put to the test in many ways. Parents and other adults such as veterans, educators and activists have for years been working to demilitarize high schools; they organized Opt Out Week to distribute flyers about the No Child Left Behind Act (The No Child Left Behind Act, Bush's education law, contains a paragraph that requires school districts to make student contact information available to military recruiters unless the student or parent "opts out" in writing) and have directed pressure on school boards to adopt policies that restrict recruiting and advocate for more "truth" in recruiting. Policy changes at high schools regarding military recruiters are happening in states such as Maine, Maryland, Ohio. Likewise, the struggle to remove JROTC units from high schools has garnered more interest as the war in Iraq drags on, as more former JROTC cadets return home from Iraq in body bags, and more people begin to realize the direct link between JROTC and military recruitment.

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March 1, 2006 / Sonia Nettnin / Media Monitors Network - The militarization of America’s youth is the U.S. military’s strategic device for recruitment into the armed forces.

Through authorization by the Supreme Court the military engages youth in middle schools and high schools through the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC). A spokesperson for the Committee Against the Militarization of Youth (CAMY) reports that the Middle School Cadet Corps program proliferates a culture of militarization because it “…indoctrinates boys and girls (ages 11 –” 14) to use rifles and play video games.” As a result, the program is a discipline of teaching kids violence.

When youth learn about militarism through systematic instruction, then military principles mold their attitudes and thoughts about the armed forces. They become inspired to enlist after high school gradation. Therefore the program influences their decision to sign up for military service.

According to the American Friends Service Committee, 45 per cent of graduates from the cadet program join some branch of military service. However, the number of youth participating in the counter-recruitment movement is growing. Youth have integral, leadership roles in these social organizations. Through public forums and informational events youth talk with youth about how the military recruits them — especially in minority communities (African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Latino-Americans, Native-Americans, women, etc.). Young women and men share their beliefs about the military and their experiences with recruitment in schools.

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November 4, 2005 / People's World / BERKELEY, Calif. — As the number of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq neared the 2,000 mark, nearly 500 university and high school students, military resisters, veterans and peace activists gathered on the UC Berkeley campus Oct. 22-23 for “On the Frontlines: Options for Youth in Times of War.” While most participants were from California, some came from as far away as New York state.

The conference, co-sponsored by Military Out of Our Schools-Bay Area (MOOS-Bay) and the Campus Antiwar Network, brought together program participants from over two dozen antiwar, educational, cultural and political organizations. Nearly 50 workshops ranged from detailed how-to’s on topics like getting recruiters off high school and college campuses to lessons from earlier struggles like the anti-Vietnam War movement and exploration of the role of theater and art.

A theme throughout the gathering was the urgent need to win economic and educational opportunities for youth, especially working-class youth of color, in the face of economic crisis, lack of jobs and educational opportunities. “Though solving the problems of youth, finding the alternatives to the military, is not on the agenda of this conference, it is the underlying context,” said Kevin Ramirez of the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors.

Another theme was the importance of reaching young people before they take the step of signing a contract.