Back to school: will recruiters be waiting?

As kids return to school this fall, recruiters will be waiting for them. Recruitment in the Army National Guard, the Army Reserves and the Army itself is failing to meet goals so the pressure is on. And some of the tactics used by the military have been raising ethical red flags. A report on CBS television shows that the Pentagon is keeping a database of 30 million young people, aged 16 and up who are in high school, college, or have registered with the Selective Service.

What can concerned parents and community members do to protect our kids from the recruiters shining promises?

YES! asked a Vietnam infantry veteran, now an active member of Veteran for Peace, to lay out the options. Larry Kershner recommends the following steps:

Introduce the "I will not kill" pledge, promoted by the Fellowship of Reconciliation. It's one way to get kids to come to terms with the real issues involved in joining the military and going to Iraq -- you will be trained to kill and expected to kill.

Keep your school free of recruiters. Get the "Military Out of Our Schools Organizing Kit," and help students through the paperwork needed to "opt-out" of the No Child Left Behind requirement that schools share their contact information with recruiters.

Find alternatives to military service as a way to get out of poverty; American Friends Service Committee has some great resources.

Listen to veterans. If your children or their classmates think they will become tough, admired adults through joining the military, they may want to talk to some people who have been there. Veterans for Peace will speak to interested groups and a CD of veterans speaking from their own experience is available by emailing: peacepoet@gmail.com.

My family, like so many others, has young friends and relatives who are in Iraq or on their way. We know how young people can be influenced by the rewards and glamour that recruiters promise. These tools, provided by a veteran who has been there, along with guidance from caring adults can provide some counterweight.