Chapter 10 - The Pentagon is Tracking Our Kids
The US military maintains an Orwellian database known as Joint Advertising, Marketing Research & Studies (JAMRS) containing intimate details on 30 million youth between the ages of 16 and 25. The laptops of local recruiters are loaded with personal information on our kids. The JAMRS data is merged with information gained from the high schools, and social media sites like Facebook, and the result is staggering. Recruiters may know Johnny reads wrestling magazines, weighs 160, can bench press 180, drives a fifteen-year-old Chevy truck he continually works on, loves Taylor Swift, "sucks at Geometry," drinks Bud, and enjoys fly fishing.
The virtual presence of recruiters in the lives of American youth has become very real. Military recruiters spend countless hours infiltrating a myriad of social platforms where youth spend their lives. They pose as prospective recruits to drum up chat room interest. They use information from yearbook and high school ring companies, from free game sites and from thinly veiled military recruiting programs operating in the high schools. The data gained is meticulously stored, both locally and nationally. Recruiters know what Johnny's girlfriend thinks about his upcoming decision to enlist.
Recruiting is ultimately a psychological pursuit. Personal preferences, interests, and history are monitored and scrutinized to give recruiters an upper hand at first contact. "Dude, you did really good on the Auto & Shop part of the ASVAB. I got a job for you." "Man, I'd rather be fly fishing than making these calls, but I love the Army and it's my job."
Military recruiters receive the names, addresses, and phone numbers of kids from the high schools, provided that parents don't step in to stop it from happening. (opt out). There has always been confusion among parents, activists, and school officials across the country regarding how to remove a child’s information from lists being forwarded to the Pentagon. That's because the law was poorly written. It says, "A parent of a secondary school student may submit a written request, to the local educational agency, that the student's name, address, and telephone listing not be released.." The law also says that each local educational agency shall notify the parents of the students served by the agency of the right to opt out. It's not very clear.
Some school systems were immediately proactive, produced an opt-out form, and made it available to parents. Others ignored the law and continue to do so today. Either way, the military receives hundreds of avenues of information about our children.
The virtual presence of recruiters in the lives of American youth has become very real. Military recruiters spend countless hours infiltrating a myriad of social platforms where youth spend their lives. They pose as prospective recruits to drum up chat room interest. They use information from yearbook and high school ring companies, from free game sites and from thinly veiled military recruiting programs operating in the high schools. The data gained is meticulously stored, both locally and nationally. Recruiters know what Johnny's girlfriend thinks about his upcoming decision to enlist.
Recruiting is ultimately a psychological pursuit. Personal preferences, interests, and history are monitored and scrutinized to give recruiters an upper hand at first contact. "Dude, you did really good on the Auto & Shop part of the ASVAB. I got a job for you." "Man, I'd rather be fly fishing than making these calls, but I love the Army and it's my job."
Military recruiters receive the names, addresses, and phone numbers of kids from the high schools, provided that parents don't step in to stop it from happening. (opt out). There has always been confusion among parents, activists, and school officials across the country regarding how to remove a child’s information from lists being forwarded to the Pentagon. That's because the law was poorly written. It says, "A parent of a secondary school student may submit a written request, to the local educational agency, that the student's name, address, and telephone listing not be released.." The law also says that each local educational agency shall notify the parents of the students served by the agency of the right to opt out. It's not very clear.
Some school systems were immediately proactive, produced an opt-out form, and made it available to parents. Others ignored the law and continue to do so today. Either way, the military receives hundreds of avenues of information about our children.
