Captain Griffin – I have no desire to get into an extended debate with you. A meeting; perhaps a meal and couple of beers later, but not now.

MY BEEF IS NOT WITH GIs; it is with war policy makers. The people who decide about wars tend to be wealthy and wars routinely protect their wealth. They tend not to let their family members fight the wars. They vigorously recruit working folks to do the dirty work.

However, because of the nation-wide counseling we do as an associate of the national GI Rights Hotline (888.231.2226, local 831.359.0202) we know that there are increasing numbers of GIs, working folk like you and me, who disagree about this war, don’t like the boss, and want out. Press reports increasingly confirm this disagreement.

RECRUITERS AS SALES PEOPLE: I don’t doubt your integrity as a “simple soldier.� But, please, isn’t it the job each “recruiter� to “recruit� a specified number of “recruits� each month? Why are you called “recruiters?� If war making was such a fine product folk would just walk in the door without any encouragement: i.e., no need for recruiters. If there is nothing to sell, let’s save the billions spent on “recruitment� and just use it for something else, like bolstering diminishing federal assistance for education and college scholarships.

As you, and others may have noticed, my consistent complaint is about one specific recruitment problem: OMISSION.

Most of the omissions I detailed have nothing to with political issues but with LEGAL points – early disclosure about the 8 year term, the military’s right to extend the term of service, and particularly the enlistees absolute loss of control over jobs, pay, assignment, location, etc. The consequences of these legal contractual items are rarely thoroughly discussed with recruits although they are all contained in the Enlistment Agreement.

I have never known a recruiter who has voluntarily given youth a copy of the Enlistment Agreement in advance to read and discuss with family and friends.

Again, to my major concern – OMISSION

Even in your third and most recent June 3rd letter you OMIT comment about illegal practices of the Delayed Enlistment Program (DEP). Although a few incidents of publically documented recruiter harassment seemed to be the precipitating cause for of the U.S. Army national ethics review Stand Down, harassment of DEP members who choose to leave has been a persistent problem.

You omit any comment about my Truth In Recruiting challenge and especially my concerns about informing DEP members (they are not enlistees) of their legal rights to leave the program.

DELAYED ENLISTMENT PROGRAM (DEP): It is my challenge to your integrity that you, and every one of your recruiters, will brief each and each and every new DEP member that 1) they have the right to not enlist at the end of their DEP term, 2) they may exercise that right by simply sending a letter of resignation to the recruiter commander. Will you tell them 3) they don’t have to report military personnel to make this declaration and 4) that they and their families will not be harassed for their choice in any manner by recruiters or other military personnel?

TRUTH IN RECRUITING: It is my challenge to your integrity that all young people targeted for recruitment by your office will all be immediately provided with, and will NOT HAVE TO ASK for, the military enlistment agreement and all of the information outlined in your May 31st letter – the 8 year term, the military’s right to extend the term of service and the enlistees absolute loss of control over jobs, pay, assignment, location, time off, etc. And please, how about some frank talk with potential recruits about the military not being “just� some job. Being in the military is full-time, 24 hour-a-day 7-days-a-week allegiance to any command order regardless of the inconvenience to the enlistee.

Take up the Truth in Recruiting pledge; promise these things and our discussion is ended. We can each continue our work – a year from now we can meet and compare results. You pick the place. I’ll buy.

Bob Fitch
GI Rights & Draft Alternatives Programs, RCNV
831.359.0202 www.rcnv.org/rcnv/co.htm