Book Review of Army of None

By Phoebe Blanding

As a high school student, I find the book on counter-recruiting, Army of None, especially unnerving. Throughout the whole of our childhood, we are led to believe our lives have value, but it appears that our current government thinks that we have the most value as canon fodder. From glaringly obvious recruitment strategies like military booths on career day, to slightly more subtle tactics like a woman known as Mama Drill exulting the benefits of joining the military as part of a motivational speech, it is clear that the U.S. army has plans for me and my peers, and they definitely aren't positive.

Army of None, written by Aimee Allison and David Solnit and published by Seven Stories Press in 2007, offers not only informative cartoons, but chilling facts, quotes and pictures. Everything that the army might seem to offer crumbles as you read this book, and even thinking about joining the army would feel absurd. Even more frightening than the dishonesty of military recruiters is the way that they target people my own age, fourteen-years-old. A picture of pre-adolescent, uniformed students in the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) program performing drills with wooden rifles is disturbing, a sight reminiscent of Hitler Youth and eerily similar to images of child soldiers. JROTC is a military program for high school students, with 500,000 students enrolled in it. It can be used to gain credit for physical education, and students are often placed in these classes when P.E. classes become full, with or without the consent of their parents. 50% of JROTC cadets are recruited into the lowest enlisted military ranks. There are other, similar programs headed by the military, many of which actually target children as young as eight years of age.

Current recruitment patterns make it clear that the military is targeting low-income people. JROTC and other programs are more prevalent in low-income areas and schools with less funding. Not only does the military appear to be targeting low-income youth; it seems to be focusing on youth of color in particular, 54% of JROTC students are youth of color.

None of the army's bait for reeling in young people remains attractive when deconstructed with information in Army of None. This book is a powerful tool when trying to counter-recruit. Any illusions you might have about the intentions of military recruiters are quickly shattered.

Are you thinking that the military will give you college money? Think again. 65% of recruits who sign up for the Montgomery GI Bill receive no money for college, and only 15% receive a college degree.

How about all that money they dangle in front of you? Does it sounding promising? Do you think the military will help you become financially secure? Read the fine print, and don't be taken in. 48% of people currently serving in the military have reported financial strain, Allison and Solnit tell us, and 33% of homeless men in the U.S. are veterans.

Don't trust those contracts either; they are essentially meaningless, because they can be changed at any time. Allison and Solnit quote from the military's own enlistment/re-enlistment document, which states "Laws and regulations that govern military personnel may change without notice to me. Such changes may affect my status, pay allowances, benefits, and responsibilities as a member of the armed forces, regardless of the provisions of this enlistment/re-enlistment document." What's the point of signing a contract which can be nullified, without notice, at any time?

One by one, Army of None shows that the promises of recruiters are misleading and downright false. With every page that you turn, it grows more and more difficult to think of the military as anything but a death trap. Military recruitment is rampant in high schools, particularly if they are lacking in funds. But this book doesn't just leave you to bemoan the fate of the world and feel helpless and surrounded by corruption, it tells you how to do something about it.

Army of None informs you of equal access rights; that you have the right to hand out fliers to students, as long as they have not yet entered the school grounds, and that, if you are a student, you may "organize, promote and participate in organizations and political groups." Also, Army of None tells us "Students have the right to wear political and other types of buttons, badges and armbands."

You don't have to simply stand by while the military sells its snake oil; people have the right to bring counter-recruitment information to schools, especially if they happen to be a student at the school in question. Fliers and pictures like those featured in the book are relatively easy to come by, and there are many ways to keep the military from getting a hold of the young people it wants to ensnare. For example, teachers can be allies in the fight against military recruitment in our schools, and these potential friends and allies should not be ignored.

Many people remain blissfully ignorant of what the military is doing in our public schools. Any community where there are recruiters lurking around needs to be informed of the malignant presence, and quickly.

The authors of Army of None, Aimee Allison and David Solnit, will be in Olympia on January 11, 2008, to lead workshop for students (see box).

Phoebe Blanding is a freshman at Avanti High School in Olympia, Washington. Her career plans do not involve joining the military.