Must-read article about military recruitment: abduction/conscription?

[GreenPartyVoter]

Jeez, I hadn't even thought that people had started to be disappeared only to resurface as conscripts. Yes this is one kid *poor guy* but there could be more.

The Army's — the whole military's — desperation is showing. None of the four branches is meeting recruitment goals as a brutal, unpopular war drags on, and the recruiters, who are all under heavy pressure to snare two warm bodies a month for this lost cause, are getting outed in the media for appallingly unethical and illegal practices.

These practices, according to the New York Times, CBS News and other sources, include advising potential (bottom of the barrel) enlistees about how to circumvent drug-screening tests and create fake high-school diplomas, how to pass the physical (one overweight young man was given laxatives and the advice, "Don't tell your parents"), along with blatant threats and even, apparently, abduction.

Neighbors of Ever Jandres of Encino, Calif., recently wrote a letter to U.S. Rep. Howard Berman charging recruitment malfeasance and asking him to look into the 24-year-old learning-disabled epileptic's mysterious disappearance, Mark Crispin Miller reported online at News from Underground. A spokesman for Berman confirmed that the congressman is "very concerned" about the matter.

Jandres, who is Salvadoran and has a borderline low IQ, was apparently "befriended" by a local Army recruiter, who invited him to come with him to Arizona for three days to observe basic training. Five days later, his distraught mother (who speaks no English) got a phone call from her son, who told her, hysterically, that he was on a military base in South Carolina. He was now in the Army, he said, and wasn't allowed to stay on the phone longer than a minute. Family members' and friends' attempts to get any information from the Army have been fruitless.

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0519-20.htm

[jeff30997]

1. That's criminal !

Those recruiters are the scum of the earth ! How low can they sink to meet their quotas ?

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. I don't know. Are they driven by bonus incentives or punishment?

[Horse with no Name]

3. Not sure but I would venture to guess

that if they weren't *effective* as a recruiter, then they would be replaced with someone else who might be more *effective*.
I don't know about you--but being "owned" by the military would have to suck if I couldn't do my cushy job and was replaced by someone else who could.
I am sure they would be sent back to active duty because they are "owned" by their employer.
They would much rather lie, cheat and commit illegal acts to send someone else's kid than to be cannon fodder themselves.

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. Perhaps that is all it is. Making sure someone else gets sent over

there in their stead?

[Horse with no Name]

12. Yup.

I guess this is how they interpret "an eye for an eye".:shrug:

[AllegroRondo]

8. Both

But Im guessing NOBODY is getting enough recruits to make bonuses, so this is all about avoiding punishments. If a recruiter doesnt get 2 warm bodies a month, his career is shot.

[markus]

5. Didn't we go to war with England over this soft of thing once?

So, we now have Press Gangs roaming the streets?

[GreenPartyVoter]

7. Sounds like it. I guess the lure of a Green Card isn't enough for some

people, so they're gonna scoop up would-be Americans and put them to work. Think they'll start nabbing gang members or emptying out the prisons any time soon?

[Coexist]

6. deleted

oops!

[Javaman]

9. Just wait when they give the option to prison inmates...

During the latter half of the US involvement in WWII, prisoners with sort time were given the option of early release if they joined the military.
That will be one of the next steps.

[cornermouse]

10. Someone in the Senate needs to look into this.

A learning disabled, epileptic, borderline IQ has no business being in the military.

[GreenPartyVoter]

11. Who would be the correct person to address this to?

[cornermouse]

13. I don't know.

Maybe Kerry? And here's a wild thought that I'm not sure what to think about, but how about McCain? I'm not particulary fond of him, but I'm not too sure he would approve of this either.

[GreenPartyVoter]

14. Well there must be a committee for overseeing military affairs, so

I'll look into that.

Bet some of the veterans' sites would be able to help out as well.

[cornermouse]

15. I'm sure the veterans would.

[GreenPartyVoter]

16. Let's start with these, then

http://www.veteransforpeace.org/about.htm

[e-mail]

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/index.cfm?&Page=Module&ModuleID=11

[e-mail]

[GreenPartyVoter]

18. Here is the letter I sent. Feel free to cut n paste

Hi,

I read the following article recently and was wondering if there is any way to verify the veracity of these claims and, if they are true, help this family follow up on their kid's whereabouts, or determine whether there are more possible cases of these press gang tactics being used by recruiters?

Thank you for your time,



The Army's — the whole military's — desperation is
showing. None of the four branches is meeting
recruitment goals as a brutal, unpopular war drags on,
and the recruiters, who are all under heavy pressure
to snare two warm bodies a month for this lost cause,
are getting outed in the media for appallingly
unethical and illegal practices.

These practices, according to the New York Times, CBS
News and other sources, include advising potential
(bottom of the barrel) enlistees about how to
circumvent drug-screening tests and create fake
high-school diplomas, how to pass the physical (one
overweight young man was given laxatives and the
advice, "Don't tell your parents"), along with blatant
threats and even, apparently, abduction.

Neighbors of Ever Jandres of Encino, Calif., recently
wrote a letter to U.S. Rep. Howard Berman charging
recruitment malfeasance and asking him to look into
the 24-year-old learning-disabled epileptic's
mysterious disappearance, Mark Crispin Miller reported
online at News from Underground. A spokesman for
Berman confirmed that the congressman is "very
concerned" about the matter.

Jandres, who is Salvadoran and has a borderline low
IQ, was apparently "befriended" by a local Army
recruiter, who invited him to come with him to Arizona
for three days to observe basic training. Five days
later, his distraught mother (who speaks no English)
got a phone call from her son, who told her,
hysterically, that he was on a military base in South
Carolina. He was now in the Army, he said, and wasn't
allowed to stay on the phone longer than a minute.
Family members' and friends' attempts to get any
information from the Army have been fruitless.

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0519-20.htm

[leftchick]

20. The Armed Services Committee...

http://armed-services.senate.gov/members.htm

with links to all of the members...

[GreenPartyVoter]

22. Thank you!

[GreenPartyVoter]

23. Ok, sent to the Dem Senators

[GreenPartyVoter]

26. punt

[unhappycamper]

17. This says it all:

[GreenPartyVoter]

19. They better not come for MY boys

[unhappycamper]

21. The poster is somewhat dated. When the full tilt draft starts

it will be 18 ~ 39. Women will not be excluded this time.

[GreenPartyVoter]

24. Evening kick

[Cleita]

25. They are in the process of dismantling our government.

When that happens and the new dictatorship takes over, you will see a draft and a building up of military like after WWII during the cold war.