COUNTERING MILITARY RECRUITMENT
Articles: Military Recruiting: General
Military Recruiting Vans Draw Fire
Pat Elder, Common Dreams
November 26, 2007
A ninth grader in a suburban Washington DC classroom is delighted to
be excused from Algebra class to spend a half hour shooting a
life-like 9 MM pistol and lobbing explosive ordinance from an M1A2
Abrams tank simulator. At the same time 3,000 miles away in La Habra,
California, a 15 year-old girl is released from English class to
squeeze off rounds from a very real looking M-16 rifle. The kids
thoroughly enjoy the experience, especially the part about getting
out of class.
The two students have experienced the Army's Adventure Van, a
60-foot, 30-ton 18-wheeler with several interactive exhibits that
bring an adrenaline rush and glorify weaponry and combat. The Army's
19 vans frequent various community events and two thousand schools a
year, generating more than 63,000 recruiter leads. In addition to the
Adventure Van, the Army has three other 18-wheelers for recruiting
purposes. The Aviation Recruiting Van contains an AH 64 Helicopter
flight simulator and an interactive air warrior and weapons display.
The American Soldier Adventure Van has an interactive air/land
warrior display and a future warrior display. The Army Marksmanship
Trainer has an interactive rifle range.
In addition to the fleet of 18-wheelers, the Army has four RockWalls,
the popular rock climbing wall for youth. The Army also brings
machine gun toting humvees, tanks and other military vehicles on high
school campuses to enhance their recruiting efforts. Both the Army
and Air Force have their own recruiting motorcycles.
The interactive theatrical weapons simulators provide a mesmerizing
experience for many teens, captivated by the awesome accuracy and
power of the Army's killing machines. The banter between adolescent
and Army recruiter is empowering for the Maryland teenager as he
holds an absolutely frightening replica of the cold, metallic 8.5
pound M-16-A-2. "This is awesome!" The recruiter explains, "The
weapon is a 5.56 mm caliber, air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed
rifle, with a rotating bolt. It is constructed of steel, aluminum and
composite plastics."
Firing the simulator produces a minor kick to the weapon and a small
red dot is projected on a bull's eye target about 20 feet away. The
shooter is accurate from left to right on the target, but he's
hitting it a few inches below bull's eye. His recruiter explains that
soldiers shooting the M-16-A-2 must aim high in order to place shots
on the desired target, especially at close range. "Cool!" is the reply.
Despite protests by parents and civic groups across the country, the
Army defends its right to enter high school campuses with their
high-tech mobile cinemas. Kelly Rowe, public affairs officer for the
Baltimore Recruiting Battalion, compared the Army Adventure Van to
efforts by colleges to recruit students. "I don't think it's any
different from an athlete who gets 10 letters saying, 'Come play for
us,' " Rowe said.
Of course, these military vehicles go beyond the access required by
Section 9528 of the No Child Left Behind Act, which states that
military recruiters are to have the same access as college and career
recruiters.
The Air Force and the Navy also have fleets of trucks and vans that
visit high schools. The Air Force has a Raptor Trailer, with a
miniature replica of the Air Force's newest fighter aircraft and two
video game stations that put children behind the joystick piloting an
F-22 fighter that's coming to the aid of a friendly F-4 under attack
by hostile MiG-29s. Five Navy Exhibit Centers include a "Nuclear
Power Van," and an "America's Sea Power Van."
Some school districts, like the Los Angeles Unified School District
and the Montgomery County, Maryland Public Schools have policies that
forbid military vehicles on public school campuses.
If you see a military vehicle at your high school, let your local
school officials know of your concerns. These vehicles don't belong
in our schools.
This archive consists of a topically organized selection of
articles culled by members of the Counter-Recruitment List Serve from printed
publications and web sites. The archive is not complete. We have chosen
material relevant to the work of