9 Ways to Help
1. Help distribute educational material: The main advantage for recruiters is that young people aren't usually exposed to alternate sources of information. Education is the best weapon there is to help stop people from enlisting. If you would like to help distribute flyers contact us at: pog@mutualaid.org and we can mail them to you or pick some up at the Thomas Merton Center.
2. Talk to, and encourage, High School Students to "Opt-Out" of releasing their personal info to recruiters: Federal Law requires High Schools to give students' personal information to military recruiters unless they or their parents say not to. Unfortunately, many Pittsburgh schools don't do an adequate job of letting students and parents know they can opt-out of releasing this information and help avoid some of those annoying calls and mailings to the house. If you're a parent or student, print an opt-out form, go to opt-out and return the form to the principle or administrator.
3. If you’re a student refuse to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Test (ASVAB). The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a multiple choice test, administered by the United States Military Entrance Processing Command, used to determine qualification for enlistment in the United States armed forces. It is often administered to high school students when they are in the 11th grade. The information collected through the ASVAB is used by the United States Department of Defense for recruiting and research purposes. Scores and personal information obtained during the test are also released to the United States armed forces. Some schools tell students that they must take the test or may try to coerce them (harassment, ridicule, counselors telling students they won't help them in other ways if they don't take the ASVAB). While schools may require their students to take an assessment test approved by the state, there is no legal requirement that students take the ASVAB.
4. Call your local school board and school administrator: Let the school system know that we give our children to them for the purpose of being educated, not so they can help the military meet it's quotas. Demand the following - that they stop showing students "Channel One" military commercials in the morning, that recruiters be confined to designated areas on campus, that all military recruiters wear uniforms, that no private appointments be held between recruiters and students on campus, and no private appointments be held when a student is due in class, that the school posts recruiting rules and upcoming visits on campus throughout the year, that counter-recruitment groups and organizations advocating alternative careers to the military be notified when recruitesr will be present and that they are allowed on campus at the same time and in the same location as military recruiters, that recruiters first receive written permission to be on campus from the principal or a principal's designee, and that they must sign in and out of the school office at each visit and leave clear contact details on any written information left behind.
5. Make a donation: We're paying for the cost of educational efforts out-of-pocket. If you want to help defray the cost of printing, etc you can send a donation to:
Pittsburgh Organizing Group
c/o Thomas Merton Center
5125 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
6. Join protests: Our group, among others, has been staging protests at local recruiting stations to help draw attention to the distortions and misrepresentations being made in pressuring people to enlist. Upcoming events are listed on this website.
7. Confront recruiters when you see them: If you see a recruiter on the street, in the classroom, or anywhere let them know that you don't appreciate their presence there and that they should leave. The more people make clear that recruiters are not welcome in our community the harder it will be for them to go about their dirty work. If you see anyone being recruited let that person know the truth about recruiters and enlistment.
8. Complain to stores that let the military advertise: Most stores don't want to be in a mini-recruiting station for the army. Unfortunately, stores are in business to make money and many are afraid that if they don't let the military distribute propaganda they'll lose business. If you see army displays somewhere let the store know that you don't appreciate giving your money to a place that's letting the army advertise and deceive young people and that you hope they'll consider taking them down. This type of comment can give employees and owners the justification they need to take action.
9. Take their free materials: The military provides so much free, slick and well-designed advertising, because it needs to be seen as cool and ubiquitous. It's trying to brand itself and one of the ways to do that is forcing people to see it over and over and over again- in stores, in displays, on shirts and clothing, on billboards, in school and on tv. The next time you pass a display consider taking advantage of the fact that the military provides so much propaganda to the public for free. Taking a flyer or many more might mean that there aren't any left when another impressionable kid comes along.