Counter‑recruitment

September 14, 2026 / Fran Roznowski / Chelsea Uniting Against the War - Members of Chelsea Uniting Against the War spoke with students about their right to OPT-OUT during their lunch periods at Chelsea High School on September 14, 2026.  Many students reported that they already signed the Military Release OPT-OUT Form online in the Student Handbook which prevents the Chelsea school district from releasing these student’s names, addresses and  phone numbers to armed forces recruiters. One student interrupted his lunch to sign the form on his school issued computer.

Counter‑recruitment has always been a practice rooted in community care: volunteers tabling in high schools, veterans speaking honestly about the realities of military life, organizers challenging ASVAB testing, and advocates offering young people meaningful alternatives to enlistment. The NNOMY network’s long‑standing work reflects this tradition. In Bellingham, for example, the Whatcom Peace & Justice Center has spent decades providing students with non‑military options through equal‑access tabling agreements that allow volunteers to meet youth face‑to‑face in their schools .