UN Urges US to Change Policies on Military Recruiting

**School's Out, But Military Recruiters Don't Go on Vacation**
by Sharon Kufeldt and Gail Sredanovic

The joys and relaxation of summer vacation come with some extra safety concerns for parents. One you may have not considered is the presence of military recruiters looking to meet their quotas with your children. During the school year recruiters are a heavy presence on campus, with games, gifts and other inducements, military aptitude tests and a database that includes information on children as young as 16. They do not stop their efforts during school vacation, however. They are present where children gather, especially targeting youth of color and low-income youth.

Earlier this month, responding to an ACLU report on recruiter abuses, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child issued a report urging the U.S. to make sweeping policy changes regarding domestic military recruitment practices. Although the U.S. signed the UN's Optional Protocol on the involvement of Children in Armed Conflict in 2002, military recruiters still target children under 18 years of age for enlistment with techniques that include false promises and coercion.

Jamil Dakwar, Director of the ACLU Human Rights Program said that, "to claim the high moral ground and assert leadership on the issue of human rights, the U.S. must take vigorous action to bring its current conduct in line with the committee's recommendations." The recommended changes that we Raging Grannies fully support include the following.

The U.S. government must closely monitor domestic military recruiters and investigate and punish misconduct by recruiters.
It must ensure that military recruitment does not particularly target racial and ethnic minorities and children of low income families.

Furthermore, the No Child Left Behind Act must be amended to protect students' privacy rights and the rights of parents and legal guardians. Any child currently signed up under the Delayed Enlistment Program must be adequately informed of their right to withdraw their enlistment. Perhaps most important to put the U.S. in compliance with the protocol is to raise the minimum age for recruitment to 18.

This summer you may see members of the Raging Grannies Action League as we continue our public information campaign to reach children and parents with facts about military enlistment. Meanwhile it is up to parents to make themselves informed and know who is influencing your child. Should your student come home with a military contract, be sure to read carefully both sides of any document he or she may sign. The enlistment contract is cleverly formatted to disguise the fact that although it is binding on the recruit, nothing in it is actually binding on the military.

Sharon Kufeldt is National Vice-President of Veterans for Peace and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. Both she and Gail Sredanovic are members of the Raging Grannies Action League in the San Francisco Bay area.