WHAT IS IN THIS KIT?

The 2018/9 Back-To-School kit for Counter-recruitment and School Demilitarization Organizing is a catalog of basic material useful to educating young people and school personnel about the realities of military enlistment and war. The catalog also includes some information on alternatives to enlistment, as well as items written for organizers seeking to reach out to local schools.

All of the material in this catalog was carefully reviewed for relevancy and accuracy as of the Spring of 2018. A task force of knowledgeable organizers did the research. It does not include all of the available literature on this topic because much of what exists is out of date or is no longer being produced by the original sources. Consequently, we focused on identifying items that we felt were basic and most useful for effective organizing and educating. New items may be added to future kits as they become available.

HOW TO USE THE KIT

It’s very simple: Read the descriptions in the catalog and then go to the links that are listed to view or download documents that are relevant to your local organizing. In some cases, you will be able to reprint them for local reproduction; or, you will be able to order copies in bulk if they are offered by the original source.

*Items are specially marked to indicate if they have content that is not optimized for what the federal courts have allowed or if they are included in the catalog for other special purposes.

HOW THE KIT IS ORGANIZED

• Counter-recruitment
• Non-military Career, College and Service Alternatives
  
• Gender and the Military
  
• JROTC
  
• Delayed Entry Program (DEP)
• Privacy  (Opt Out Forms/ ASVAB etc.)
• Resources for Organizers
  
• NNOMY Contact Information

Most of the material is optimized to meet legal equal access standards for distribution by non-students inside schools (i.e., it only addresses the realities of military enlistment and war, or presents alternative options).

Counter-Recruitment   return to list

• Before You Enlist (video): Short video (16 minutes) exploring the dangers and false assumptions about the military.

• The Military’s Not Just A Job; It’s Eight Years of Your Life – ENGLISH (brochure): General counter-recruitment brochure for young people, addresses the typical reasons people enlist, questions to ask a recruiter, etc.
  

• The Military’s Not Just A Job; It’s Eight Years of Your Life – SPANISH (brochure): General counter-recruitment brochure for young people, addresses the typical reasons people enlist, questions to ask a recruiter, etc.
  

• Thinking of Joining the US Military to Gain Citizenship? – English/Spanish: Intended for non-citizens looking to join the military for immigration benefits; to let them know what to be aware of immigration-wise before approaching a recruiter.

• GI Rights Hotline Cards (business card): A card with essential information about service members’ rights and contact information for the GI Rights Hotline. (PDF)

• Know Before You Go . . . ’Cause There’s No Reset Button (brochure)*: This brochure breaks down the enlistment contract and life in the military and provides new stats about sexual assault in the military, racial disparities in becoming an officer, and stop-loss.

• What Is Nonviolence (brochure)*: Actually a promotional piece for the War Resisters League but has a good explanation of non-violence. Good for peace clubs.

• Military Recruitment: Information for School Guidance Counselors (brochure)**: Adapted from an essay by Titus Peachy, a Mennonite. Advice on helping students understand all their options. Geared to school counselors.

• Stg. Abe: The Honest Recruiter (multi-page): The enlistment agreement of the U.S. Armed Forces pointing out many snares along the way.

• The Post 9/11 GI Bill (brochure): Explores some of the “gotchas” with the new GI Bill.

• The Ground Truth (video)*: (2006) Addresses issues soldiers face after returning from Iraq; e.g., PTSD and inability to meld back into "normal" society. Personal interviews with veterans and family members/friends.  Contains some profanity and violent scenes.  We suggest you give a copy to classroom instructor to preview for appropriate classroom setting. Trailers online, rent ($3.99) or buy (Amazon has for $10).

• Arlington West (video): Documentary of experiences by family members and troops from Iraq and Afghanistan Documental sobre la esperencia de familias y sus soldados durante las guerras de Irak y Afghanistan

• Winning the Peace: (2016) Counter recruitment resource for mobile devices with palm card developed by War Resisters League for distribution and with link directing recipient to a website version of The Military’s Not Just A Job; It’s Eight Years of Your Life brochure. Landing site includes links to alternatives to military service to start your career and life.  See Organizers Page

• It’s My Life (90-page booklet: Provides ideas and guidance for youth looking for career paths that are alternatives to military service.

• Careers in Peacemaking and Social Change (brochure): Discusses how to make a career choice that is compatible with both income needs and ethical values.

• A Few Examples of Careers in Peacemaking – Spanish /English(flyer): Suggests ways that different careers can be used to work for peace and social justice, briefly notes skills/education needed for each career.

• Financial Aid Resources (multi-page): List of possible sources for college financial aid, including national sources and some specific to California. Can be used as a model for local groups to substitute local resources.

• Alternative Training and Job Placement Resources (multi-page): List of employment training and placement programs for youth in San Diego County. Can be used as a model for local groups to substitute local resources.

• What Every Girl Should Know About the US Military (brochure): Written for young women and featuring the voices of women veterans, talking about some of the problems for women in the US Military.

• So You Want to Be a Man? – English/Spanish (flyer): Ways to “become a man” without joining the military.

• The Invisible War (video)*: 2012 documentary that investigates the epidemic of rape within the U.S. Military. Personal stories of several men and women victims of sexual assault in the military.

• How JROTC Contributes to the School Funding Crisis (flyer)**: Explains how JROTC subsidy is calculated and why it becomes an added expense for schools. For organizers.

• Is JROTC an Extra Expense for Local Schools? (flyer)**: Uses personnel budget from one school to illustrate how JROTC can cost more than other educational programs. For organizers.

• Signed Up for the Military and Want to Get Out? (flyer): Explains how the DEP Program works and how to get out of it.

• JAMRS Fact Sheet and Opt Out Form (flyer): Explains the Joint Advertising and Market Research & Studies (JAMRS) database with a form for opting out of the survey and recruitment databases.

• Two Important Items for Families with High School Students--Opt-Out and ASVAB Testing: Flier on opting out from high school recruiting lists (bilingual opt-out form included) and opposing the use of the military's aptitude test (ASVAB) in schools.

• Best Practices for ASVAB (multi-page)**: Points out the fact that, unlike career exploration tools developed by third parties, the ASVAB does not automatically protect student information. It explains how the different options work with the ASVAB test. Geared to school counselors. (5/2013)

• Using Equal Access to Counter Militarism in HighSchools**: Chronicle of efforts to gain access to schools in San Diego County from 1984 to 1995 (updated 7/06): outreach strategies, legal basis for equal access, lessons learned,. school district letters.

• Resources for adopting a recruiting policy in schools**: Packet with resources and links from a webinar on establishing policies to regulate recruiting in K-12 schools.

• Starting Up a Project to Counter Military Recruiting**: Ideas and resources for starting a local counter-recruitment project.

• Actions Students Can Take to Counter Military Recruiting in Their Schools**: Ideas and resources for high school students.

• Team Member Guidebook (Draft) – tabling section**: Although in draft form, the chapter on tabling is very useful. For organizers.

Download link for this kit
(version-v:nnomycrkit10.4-2018/9)