COUNTERING MILITARY RECRUITMENT
Articles: Military Recruiting: JROTC/ROTC
Guard's seventh grade program draws heat
KEVIN WACK, Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram
September 25, 2006
The
Maine National Guard is facing criticism from an anti-war group about a
program that sends uniformed military officers into seventh-grade
classrooms around Maine.
The group, Maine Veterans for Peace, says the six-week program, which
discourages children at 37 schools from using drugs and often
culminates in a trip to an outdoor training base, also serves as a
military recruiting device.
"I think it is strictly a recruiting tool," said Jack Bussell, a member
of the anti-war group's board. "Military personnel have no business
being in middle schools."
The Guard disputes the notion that it's planting the seeds of military service in young minds.
"This is just another way to serve the citizens of the state by putting
on a program that's congressionally approved and funded that helps
junior-high kids make good choices," said Gen. John Libby, Maine's top
military official.
The Guard's program is five years old, but at a time of increased
dissatisfaction with the Iraq war and efforts to limit military
recruitment in high schools, it's facing close scrutiny.
Maine Veterans for Peace began making inquiries earlier this year after learning about the program from a parent in Woolwich.
Though some parents have voiced complaints, officials at a few schools
contacted for this article said the Guard program has been positive and
free of controversy.
"There's never been any concern whatsoever," said Sharon Burnell,
principal of Molly Ockett Middle School in Fryeburg. "There's no
recruiting going on. There's no mention of that."
The Adventure Program is just one of several drug initiatives run by
the Maine National Guard, according to Lt. Cindy Pantalone, who
oversees the program.
During six sessions that are free to schools, students learn about
making good decisions, building a team and becoming more confident, she
said.
"Yes, it's done in uniform," Pantalone said. "It's what we wear to work."
Gen. Libby added: "Just as the DARE Program is conducted by police
officers who wear police uniforms because that's who they are, our
program is conducted by uniformed officers because that's who they are."
Activities listed on the Guard's Web site include wearing goggles to
simulate the impairment caused by alcohol and a version of the TV game
show "Jeopardy."
When Army National Guard and Air National Guard members first arrive in
the classroom, students often ask about why they joined the military
and whether they've been to Iraq, Pantalone said.
"I answer questions," she said. "The intent to join the military doesn't even come into play."
Educators generally learn about the Adventure Program through word of
mouth, but the Guard approached some schools when it was looking to
expand into Aroostook and Washington counties, Pantalone said.
She also noted that participating schools, most of which are public,
are supposed to send a letter home to parents before the program
begins. She acknowledged that the Guard has learned of a few cases in
which that did not happen.
The program culminates with a trip - usually during the school day, but
occasionally overnight - to a military-operated training base. One of
the bases is in Gardiner, and the other is in western Maine near the
New Hampshire border. Students climb a 10-foot wall, ride tire swings
and shimmy across a rope bridge.
Mary Martin, principal of Elm Street School in Mechanic Falls, said she
participated in last year's trip, which was made in cold, wet weather.
"And not one kid complained," she said. "They were really into the activities. It was a beneficial day."
Frank Hayward, principal of the private Chop Point School in Woolwich,
said the program has been popular with students and teachers alike.
"And we didn't have any ill side effects to all of this," he added. "None of our parents got concerned or anxious."
But elsewhere, some parents have raised objections.
Amy Brown, whose has a son in eighth grade at Lake Region Middle School
in Naples, said she learned about the National Guard program after her
son already had participated.
An informational session at the school failed to allay her concerns.
She'd like to see the program become an optional after-school activity.
"It's not active recruiting. It's sort of laying the groundwork for
kids," she said. "To me, it's just an impressionable age. And it just
doesn't strike me as an appropriate school activity."
Lisa Savage, who until this year worked as literacy coordinator at
Messalonskee Middle School in Oakland, expressed the same concern.
"What you're basically trying to get is brand recognition," she said.
"No one's going to buy your product unless they know your brand."
Last month, Maine Veterans for Peace expressed its objection to the program in letters to the participating Maine schools.
Bussell, who wrote the letters for the anti-war group, said he feels
the program's fun activities will give children a false impression of
what the National Guard does.
One of the questions posed in the 37 letters is whether the schools allow parents to opt out of the program.
Most of the schools have not written back, Bussell said.
TYPICAL ACTIVITIES
HERE ARE descriptions of some of the activities for seventh-graders who
participate in the Maine National Guard's Adventure Program. Some are
designed for the classroom, while others are performed at outdoor
training grounds. The descriptions come from the program's Web site,
www.me.ngb.army.mil/ddr.
FATAL VISION GOGGLES: "Fatal Vision Goggles simulate the visual
impairment caused by alcohol, where we start with simple tasks that
everyone can complete, and then we add the goggles and see how well you
do with the impairment. This leads into a great debrief that really
gets the kids involved in great discussion of what they feel are the
dangers of operating under the influence"
JEOPARDY: "Much like the TV Jeopardy, we have loaded our own full of
Maine facts, drug awareness, pop culture, American history, and true or
false. This activity promotes small group teamwork, communication, open
minds, common knowledge, and healthy choice awareness."
MAZE: "This activity helps with discipline, heightened senses, self
trust, and leads to great debriefs on how you never know where life
will take you and you can't always see what lies ahead."
10-12 FOOT WALL: "The Wall is a great wrap-up when your group shows you
they have taken the new acquired skills it takes to be focused and
safe. The Wall will work on communication, teamwork, decision making,
planning, self esteem, leadership and attention to detail."
Source: Maine National Guard
SCHOOLS IN PROGRAM
SCHOOLS that participated in the Maine National Guard's anti-drug program:
A.D. Gray Middle School, Waldoboro
Appleton Village School
Auburn Middle School
Bath Middle School
Buckfield Jr. Sr. High School
Camden-Rockport Middle School
Caravel Middle School, Carmel
Caribou Middle School
Chop Point School, Woolwich
D.R. Gaul Middle School, Union
Elm Street School, Mechanic Falls
Fort Fairfield Middle/High School
Gardiner Regional Middle School
Hermon Middle School
Hope Elementary School
Houlton Junior High School
Lake Region Middle School, NaplesLawrence Junior High School, Fairfield
Limestone Community School
Medway Middle School
Messalonskee Middle School, Oakland
Minot Consolidated School
Molly Ockett Middle School, Fryeburg
MSAD 70 Elementary School, Hodgdon
Oxford Hills Middle School, Paris
Rangeley Lakes Regional School, Rangeley
Sabattus Central School
Spurwink School, ChelseaTelstar Middle School, Bethel
Troy Howard Middle School, Belfast
Tripp Middle School, Turner
Upper Kennebec Valley Jr./Sr. High School, Bingham
Vassalboro Community School
Waterville Junior High School
Whittier Middle School, Poland
Wiscasset Middle School
Woolwich Central School
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