HOW THE MILITARY TEACHES OUR KIDS TO KILL

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PAT ELDER, COMMON DREAMS - A ninth grader in a suburban Washington DC
classroom is delighted to be excused from Algebra class to spend a half
hour shooting a life- like 9 MM pistol and lobbing explosive ordinance
from an M1A2 Abrams tank simulator. At the same time 3,000 miles away in
La Habra, California, a 15 year-old girl is released from English class
to squeeze off rounds from a very real looking M-16 rifle. The kids
thoroughly enjoy the experience, especially the part about getting out
of class.

The two students have experienced the Army's Adventure Van, a 60- foot,
30-ton 18-wheeler with several interactive exhibits that bring an
adrenaline rush and glorify weaponry and combat.  The Army's 19 vans
frequent various community events and two thousand schools a year,
generating more than 63,000 recruiter leads. In addition to the
Adventure Van, the Army has three other 18-wheelers for recruiting
purposes. The Aviation Recruiting Van contains an AH 64 Helicopter
flight simulator and an interactive air warrior and weapons display.

The American Soldier Adventure Van has an interactive air/land warrior
display and a future warrior display. The Army Marksmanship Trainer has
an interactive rifle range. . .

Despite protests by parents and civic groups across the country, the
Army defends its right to enter high school campuses with their high-
tech mobile cinemas. Kelly Rowe, public affairs officer for the
Baltimore Recruiting Battalion, compared the Army Adventure Van to
efforts by colleges to recruit students. "I don't think it's any
different from an athlete who gets 10 letters saying, 'Come play for
us,' " Rowe said.

Of course, these military vehicles go beyond the access required by
Section 9528 of the No Child Left Behind Act, which states that military
recruiters are to have the same access as college and career recruiters.

The Air Force and the Navy also have fleets of trucks and vans that
visit high schools. The Air Force has a Raptor Trailer, with a miniature
replica of the Air Force's newest fighter aircraft and two video game
stations that put children behind the joystick piloting an F-22 fighter
that's coming to the aid of a friendly F-4 under attack by hostile
MiG-29s. Five Navy Exhibit Centers include a "Nuclear Power Van," and an
"America's Sea Power Van."

Some school districts, like the Los Angeles Unified School District and
the Montgomery County, Maryland Public Schools have policies that forbid
military vehicles on public school campuses.

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/11/26/5440/

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