Army Recruiters’ Helicopter Turned Away

RHONDA PARKS MANVILLE / Bainbridge Island Review 30apr2005

"Students, parents decry ‘propaganda,’ while school officials see a distraction. When student Mariah Ahern learned that military recruiters were landing a Blackhawk helicopter at Bainbridge High School Thursday, she went into battle mode."

Students, parents decry ‘propaganda,’ while school officials see a distraction. When student Mariah Ahern learned that military recruiters were landing a Blackhawk helicopter at Bainbridge High School Thursday, she went into battle mode.

"It’s war propaganda," said the BHS freshman, who learned that Blackhawk helicopter tours were to be part of Career Fest while reading the school district bulletin. "I was a little bit horrified."

Ahern asked her mom Karen, a seasoned peace activist, for help getting the helicopter visit stopped. Protest signs were made and hundreds of emails went out to parents, students, pacifists and religious groups, sounding the alarm.

Within 12 hours, school officials had grounded the Blackhawk visit.

"We had students and parents saying (the helicopter) would draw too much attention away from the other career day activities," said BHS Principal Brent Peterson, who told Army National Guard recruiters to leave the helicopter in the hangar.

"Others felt that in this time of military conflict around the world, this was putting too much attention on the military," Peterson said. "We wanted to have a positive career day, and it was apparent this issue was going to draw away from that." Landing a big helicopter on the high school fields, he noted, also posed a "risk management" concern that led to the cancellation.

The Career Fest was mandatory Thursday for all juniors and seniors, while the freshman and sophomores took exams. Representatives from 60 professions, including the military, appeared at the event.

Mariah Ahern said she thinks it’s bad enough that military recruiters have access to a "captive audience" of students at a compulsory career fair. But she considers it worse, "obnoxious" even, that the recruiters would be allowed to bring a "big flashy thing" like a Blackhawk to school.

"They are sending the message that if you join the military you get to be in one of these big flashy machines, and of course they would never bring up the fact that you could be killed," she said.

Mariah Ahern and fellow student Jessica Ballou are in the midst of forming a "Conscious World" club at the high school, which is set to begin in the fall. Among the club’s plans: setting up tables with anti-war, pro-peace materials for students whenever the recruiters are on campus. Getting equal time, she said, helps fulfill the club’s goal of "creating informed voters and model citizens."

The Army National Guard has been touring American schools with the Blackhawk helicopters recently in hopes of boosting monthly recruiting quotas, which have fallen as the war in Iraq drags on, according to news reports.

The Blackhawk recently made visits to Sequim and Bremerton schools amid much fanfare, getting front page coverage in the papers. On Bainbridge, the fanfare was of the negative variety.

"There are a range of opinions and positions on this," Peterson said. "We try to make decisions that are in the best interests of the school."

Karen Ahern, a member of Veterans for Peace and other anti-war groups, said she was proud that her daughter took action. "If my daughter hadn’t spotted this in the bulletin, this event would have happened, and it’s a very aggressive recruitment tactic," she said. "There is just so much that is wrong in recruiting our children for war while they in the public schools."

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Note from Karen and her daughter Mariah:

Peace Friends

This "Blackhawk 'Copter Experience was a reminder that students and parents need to be ever vigilant. We must and can demand weapons and war machines stay off of school grounds. Military recruiters told our high school career teacher that bringing the Blackhawk Helicopters are "standard operating procedures" for school career days. That is manipulating school districts with false information. They have no legal right to bring military weapons on school grounds. I am grateful our school administration denied the helicopter after he knew he was supported by the Superintendent and community to say no. Thank you very much for prompt calls and emails. Please be on the ready to write letters to the editors as there will be people upset the helicopter was turned away.

When I wrote the administration and school board I brought up safety and "risk management" which gave them an easy out so right wing, conservative pro-military voices would have less ammo to come back with. How have district risk managers been allowing these dangerous machines to land near schools? I doubt risk managers were informed until after the helicopters had been there. Risk management is a useful, potent tool to stop the helicopters from invading school grounds.

We must ask parents and students to actualize equal time with Peace Recruitment and Counter Recruitment Resources whenever a military recruiter is on school grounds until at which time we can kick them out. Peace and humanitarian resources are also needed in every school career center to balance military resources.

Ideally, the peace/counter recruitment tables should be peer driven and owned. Student clubs that take this on are going to be much more effective than parents or other adults. Students have ultimately more influence in changing their own school culture. Using the words "peace recruitment" may be more effective than "counter recruitment" to school administrators as that suggests a negative encounter. Requesting "balance" is non-threatening. Students will need appropriate resources and training to be their polite, proactive, meet and greet best at the tables. If counter recruitment folks around the country can help deliver appropriate resources and trainings to students, parents and schools for that purpose, that will be highly beneficial to actualizing the needed balance to recruiters at school.

A good place to find students to help is the Amnesty International Clubs, already in place at most schools. Ask to speak to club staff advisors. C.R. groups can recruit parents and students to meet with school site based councils, PTA and PTO, and oversee that appropriate materials are provided and tables in place to "balance military recruiters". If students are not taking leadership roles, then volunteer to table and provide materials as it will make it easier for schools districts to say "yes", make it as easy and cost-free as possible for them. We all must follow Constitutional Separation of Church and State Laws carefully and keep it non-religious, please. Also, Mariah was told her school club must be non-partisan, which she promised to adhere to.

As a long time public school activist that has formed or been on school committees to pass model school policies on Integrated Pest Management (least toxic pesticide use), Indoor Air Quality: safe, non-toxic materials, healthy building policies, Equal Employment Policy that includes sexual orientation, and mentored student school clubs, I know that it is most effective to get district students and parents involved to lead the way. Seldom do community members who do not have children in a district have the same leverage and voice as a parent. We must all learn to be as savvy and strategic as the military are if we are to get out there and enlist students and parents to recruit for Peace, not war, in schools.

A good piece of anti -Blackhawks at Schools ammo is what Mike Hoffman, Iraq Veterans Against the War, wrote: "In Fiscal year '95 it cost the Army $1500. an hour to fly a Blackhawk Helicopter. Adjusted for inflation it cost the military nearly $2000. an hour to fly a Blackhawk. That is more then the cost for a semester at most community colleges." (Watch for Mike Hoffman speaking in Seattle area May 23-27th.)

So, tell the military we do not want them wasting tax dollars bringing in the high cost helicopter/recruitment commercial. We should all try to start community college scholarships funds for low income youth the military are recruiting and promising college money to. Advertise to students who are tempted to enlist and offer to help them locate scholarship money while you slip them educational materials.

Please be vigilant on the local movie theatre military commercials, also. Movie patrons have leverage as the Theatres want to keep their customers. Boycotting theatres if they continue military ads will encourage them to stop them.

We all just need to remind everyone to use the power to speak out and they are not alone and need not fear. Strength in numbers and mass emails and calls!

In hope for an end to recruitment and war,
Kären and Mariah Ahern

source: http://www.bainbridgereview.com/portals-code/searchd.cgi 8may2005