COUNTERING MILITARY RECRUITMENT
Articles: Military Recruiting: Youth of Color
A bachelor's of combat
Michael Cary, Sanantonio Current
11/03/2005
A squad of eight camo-clad U.S. Army recruiters invaded the Palo Alto College campus last Monday, and invited students to tackle a rock climbing wall - but only after they provided the military with personal information on a waiver-and-release form.The recruiters, based at South Park Mall under the umbrella of the U.S. Army 5th Recruiting Brigade, which includes the San Antonio Recruiting Battalion, were stationed that day in PAC's main plaza, designated by school officials as a free-speech area.
John, a student in the Harlandale Independent School District, wrote
down his name, address, telephone number, and the last four digits of
his Social Security number, then strapped himself into safety gear. He
easily made it to the top of the wall and collected his "Go Army"
T-shirt.
(Because John is a high-school student, the Current is not disclosing his last name.)
Although John is a couple of years away from graduating high school -
he was held back twice - the sophomore says he intends to enlist in the
Army. "I will sign up as soon as I graduate. It's something I really
want to do for myself."
It's a common scenario at local high school and college campuses: U.S.
Army, Marine, Navy, and Air Force recruiters target students as
possible enlistees.
"San Antonio remains a ready source of what the military needs most:
people," read an October 7 New York Times report. In fact, San
Antonio's recruiting battalion, which covers territory from north of
Austin to the U.S.-Mexico border, "ranked first among battalions by
signing up 2,118 active-duty enlistees, 86 percent of its goal."
The schools are often willing suitors, especially in a city where
military service is ingrained in local culture. At Palo Alto, two local
high-school counselors approached First Sergeant Robert "Bobby" Garza,
insisting that the recruiters who travel with the climbing wall (the
unit is stationed in Fort Knox, Kentucky) visit their campuses. "My
father spent 20 years in the military," one counselor informed him. "I
am an Army brat, and proud of it."
The
Times lists "powerful patriotism and deep respect for military life" as
a major factor in recruiters' success in San Antonio. A significant
portion the city's population includes military veterans and retirees,
which also helps to create a "reliable and steady source of recruits."
Local community organizer Christina Valero says "young, poor people of color" are easy prey for recruiters.
"Looking at the flashy recruitment vehicles lowered and customized with
rims and military video games (the PAC recruiters had a "Go Army"
Humvee and a large SUV painted with Army colors)," Valero says, "it is
not hard to see that the military is specifically marketing itself
toward a specific population: a population that perfectly describes the
majority of San Antonio: young people of color from lower-income
backgrounds."
The day after recruiters visited Palo Alto, the Defense Department
announced the 2,000th casualty in the war in Iraq. Seventeen men and
women from San Antonio have died in Iraq since the former Texas
governor launched the war in March 2003.
"Now it is the youth of San Antonio who are doing the dirty work of
Uncle Sam," says Valero. "The sea of blood runs not only red, but black
and brown as well."
Valero has joined a coalition of students and anti-war organizers to
host a panel discussion at the UTSA Downtown campus on the war in Iraq.
The panel will feature Fernando Suarez, a man whose son died in Iraq;
Hart Viges, a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War; Silky Shah, a
student organizer with Grassroots Leadership; and Lovella Calica of the
National Youth and Student Peace Coalition who conducts
counter-recruitment training camps.
My rights will be defended."
In exchange, Quintero-Espinoza and her comrades assumed
responsibilities and risks, including being sent to fight in Iraq or Afghanistan. Phone,
24, the airman first class who came from Burma in 2002, didn't hesitate to
volunteer to serve a nation willing to help him get ahead in life.
"I would be grateful to meet somebody who offers you what you want" in
return for accepting an obligation, said Phone, who became a citizen
about
two years after enlisting. "That's fair -- totally fair -- I think."
A history of service
That deal, with the promise of naturalization, has appealed to millions
of
immigrants and the military throughout American history. The Army, in
particular, has sought out and relied on immigrant recruits, especially
during wars.
In the 1840s, almost half of all recruits were not U.S. citizens, said
Conrad Crane, director of the Army Military History Institute at the
Army
War College in Carlisle, Penn. "They're just right off the boat,
basically."
During the Civil War, the government promised citizenship to
immigrants,
and recruiters sailed overseas to make the pitch. Noncitizens
constituted
as much as 20 percent of the 1.5 million-man Union Army.
"Some of them were attracted, of course, by glory; some of them by a
chance
for adventure," Crane said. "For a lot of them, citizenship is the
promise."
So many immigrants populated the ranks during World War I that the Army
was
dubbed the "American foreign legion" in Europe. After the war, an Army
unit
of 14 nationalities toured the United States to recruit immigrants,
touting
the promise of naturalization.
Many immigrants fought in World War II, but patriotism more than
citizenship drove enlistment, Crane said. Conscription also helped fill
the
ranks and continued to do so until the all-volunteer military returned
in
the 1970s.
Military resource
Given that history, Bush's executive order fast-tracking citizenship
was no
surprise, Crane said. With the Iraq war in its fourth year and military
recruiters struggling, speedy naturalization can attract volunteers and
is
a fitting reward.
"When times get tough to fill the Army and immigrants are available,
they're a resource," Crane said.
Despite raising enlistment bonuses and offering other new incentives,
the
Army has had a tough time attracting people. It missed its target last
year
by 6,600 recruits. April was its worst month effort since last summer.
The military typically accepts only U.S. citizens or legal residents.
Illegal immigrants have slipped in, in some cases with fake citizenship
or
immigration documents, said Stock, the U.S. military academy professor.
As a result of Bush's order, illegal immigrants serving honorably on
active
duty and meeting other requirements are eligible to apply for
citizenship,
Stock said. Also, a new law gives the military the authority to enlist
at
any time anyone, even an illegal immigrant, whose enlistment is deemed
"vital to the national interest."
"They could form a foreign legion right now," Stock said. "I get calls
all
the time from illegal immigrants who want to join the military."
For the most part, recruiters have not targeted noncitizens, said
Douglas
Smith, spokesman for the Army's recruiting command. Recruiting that
targets
populations of noncitizens likely accounts for at least some of the
noncitizen recruits, he said.
California's Army National Guard recruiters do not systematically seek
noncitizens, Guard officials said. They do point out that soldiers can
get
on the naturalization fast track, said spokeswoman Lt. Toni Gray.
"For us, noncitizens contribute valuable language and cultural
expertise,"
Gray said. "The value of their skills, however, is often surpassed by
their
sincere appreciation and commitment to our nation."
Noncitizens have been military standouts, according to a May 2005 study
by
the Center for Naval Analyses, a federally funded research organization
serving the military. For instance, they are about half as likely as
their
U.S.-born comrades to wash out before completing their enlistment.
The military's need for foreign-language speakers recently spurred the
Army
to relax enlistment requirements, including maximum age and English
proficiency, to attract people with such native skills, reported the
Center
for Naval Analyses.
Opposition
Not everyone is pleased at the prospect of increasing the number of
noncitizens in the military.
Among the critics is Krikorian, head of the group that wants stricter
immigration controls. What concerns him is the potential for the
combination of military needs and political pressure from immigration
advocates to widen the ranks and expand benefits for noncitizens.
"This is one of those feel-good issues, at least for politicians," he
said.
"There's no reason that it wouldn't be tacked on to an immigration
bill, if
one were to come up."
Krikorian hasn't much of an argument, says Rep. Hilda Solis, D-El
Monte,
who favors expanded benefits for noncitizen soldiers. The California
congresswoman said immigrants have proved their value to the military
and
have earned their benefits.
"I think he's barking up the wrong tree," Solis said.
Spc. Cristianne Silva, 29, said enlisting in the California Army
National
Guard helped her complete a journey that began eight years ago, when
she
left her native Brazil and illegally entered America in search of a
better
life.
After cleaning houses and doing other jobs, Silva hired an immigration
lawyer and became a legal resident. She learned that her military
service
could help her become a citizen after she joined the Army in 2003 and
was
sent to Iraq.
"I'm still, actually, kind of shocked that I have accomplished this,"
said
Silva, who was naturalized in April in Sacramento.
"After so long of dreaming, now, finally, I can say: Yes, I am a
citizen."
Times staff writer Steven Harmon contributed to this story. Reach Dogen
Hannah at 925-945-4794 or dhannah@cctimes.com.
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