cadets

Fri

Oct

2014

The Military Invasion of My High School: The role of JROTC

New translation available

Submitted by hannah

Sylvia McGauley -

“Will you please write me a letter of recommendation for the Navy, Ms. McGauley? You’re my best class.” Thanh was enrolled in the recently established Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps...

Sun

Jan

The MAGA Face of JROTC

Submitted by gdghirardi on Sun, 31/01/2021 - 02:23

January 18 2021 / Gary Ghirardi / Op-ed / NNOMY - With the violence witnessed in the beginning of 2021 at the nation's capital, we have been forced to acknowledge the culture war that exists in the United States in full expression. We also witnessed in the subtext of that event, and the emerging crisis that will follow it, the government's promise of increasing securitization as a reaction to it. That process did not start at the "surge on the capital" but has been in a steady progression of growth for many years. This latest event only provides an additional justification for the need to increase the militarization of our "democracy."

Mon

Jul

Patriotic Youth Army Takes Russian Kids Back to the Future

Submitted by nnomy on Mon, 02/07/2018 - 18:24

KUBINKA, Russia — Often in Russia these days, what is old is new again or, to be more specific, what is Soviet is new again.

The Youth Army, open to both boys and girls, is a militarized throwback to the Young Pioneers of the Soviet era. Meant to instill a sense of Communist zeal, the Pioneers are mostly remembered for their summer camps.

The Youth Army jettisoned the Communist bits, emerging as a kind of hybrid version of the scouts and a reserve officers training program, with an emphasis on patriotism and national service.

The trademark red endured.

If the Pioneers knotted red scarves around their necks, members of the Youth Army sport red berets bearing a pin of the organization’s logo — the red star of the Russian Army superimposed on an eagle’s head.

Mon

Feb

Army Cadet Force units ruled out at Scottish state schools

Submitted by antimili-youth on Mon, 20/02/2017 - 17:52

ARMY cadet units will not be permitted to operate in state schools north of the Border, the Scottish Government has confirmed.

Ministers said there was no change to the long-standing policy in Scotland that units could not be based at council-run schools.

The intervention came after UK defence minister Sir Michael Fallon suggested he wanted more units to be allowed in Scotland during a discussion about a pilot project at Maxwelltown High School, in Dumfries.

Read the full article here.

Wed

Oct

UK: Michael Fallon launches army cadets scheme at 'Trojan horse' school

Submitted by antimili-youth on Wed, 05/10/2016 - 11:11

Jessica Elgot, The Guardian

Defence secretary announces 150 new units, with the first at Birmingham school at centre of row over alleged extremism

Michael Fallon has announced 150 new army cadet units for state schools, with the first launched on Tuesday at the Birmingham school at the centre of the“Trojan horse” row over alleged attempts to introduce a hardline Islamist ethos.

Fri

Jul

Cambodian military targets high schools in new recruitment campaign

Submitted by antimili-youth on Fri, 01/07/2016 - 14:59

The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces is doubling down on its recruiting efforts, building on a slick media advertising blitz launched last year and taking its message directly to the nation’s high schools in a bid to boost its ranks with an injection of diploma-wielding youths.

On Tuesday, recruiters kicked off the new campaign with a visit to Lycée Sisowath in Phnom Penh, handing out pamphlets and providing information on joining the nation’s armed forces, which are seeking to promote their officer-training programs, according to a source.

Defence Ministry spokesman Chhum Socheat said RCAF wanted recruits with high school diplomas and strong foreign-language skills to improve the military’s human resources.

Militarism Run Amok: Russians and Americans Get Their Kids Ready for War

Submitted by Gary on Sat, 12/09/2015 - 20:05

Lawrence Wittner - In 1915, a mother's protest against funneling children into war provided the theme of a new American song, "I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier." Although the ballad attained great popularity, not everyone liked it. Theodore Roosevelt, a leading militarist of the era, retorted that the proper place for such women was "in a harem―and not in the United States."

If Roosevelt were still around today, a century later, he would be happy to learn that preparing children for war continues unabated.

Mon

Aug

Harper Announces Expansion of Junior Canadian Rangers

Submitted by hannah on Mon, 17/08/2015 - 11:05

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced that a re-elected Conservative government would expand the number of Junior Canadian Rangers by 15% to 5,000. This expansion will be completed in time for the 20th anniversary of the permanent establishment of the Junior Canadian Rangers, in 2018.

Junior Canadian Rangers, aged 12-18, are taught traditional skills, life skills, and Ranger skills in 135 remote and isolated communities across Canada. The Junior Canadian Rangers are affiliated with the Canadian Rangers, who support national security and public safety objectives and act as the military’s eyes and ears in northern, coastal and isolated areas of Canada.

Wed

Jun

Cavalry units volunteer at local schools

Submitted by Gary on Wed, 24/06/2015 - 21:24

A Soldier with the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division referees a flag football game at Shoemaker High School during an organization day for the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets at Killeen, Texas, May 29. Soldiers helped organize the events, referee games, and foster a safe environment. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Brandon Banzhaf, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division)

by Sgt. Brandon Banzhaf

Tue

Jun

Young People, the Military, and the Aftermath of the UK’s General Election

Submitted by antimili-youth on Tue, 23/06/2015 - 15:59

It has been more than a month since the General Elections in the UK which ended up with a Conservative Party majority in the Parliament. We asked Forces Watch* to review these results and their implications on the militarisation of youth in the UK for Antimili-Youth.

Mon

Jun

War veterans call for rethink on recruitment of 16-year-olds

Submitted by antimili-youth on Mon, 22/06/2015 - 11:03

Former professionals condemn recruitment of teenagers by ‘pushing the notion of a noble military career to children’

A group of British war veterans will launch a campaign this week against enlisting 16-year-olds into the military.

Britain is the only state in Europe or Nato that still enlists minors, a policy criticised by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, the parliamentary joint committee on human rights and other groups including Child Soldiers International and British Quakers. The organisation Veterans For Peace (VFP) is demanding change, but the MoD says it depends on 16-year-olds for a quarter of the intake needed to sustain UK forces.

Pages

Languages

Countering Military Recruitment

WRI's new booklet, Countering Military Recruitment: Learning the lessons of counter-recruitment campaigns internationally, is out now. The booklet includes examples of campaigning against youth militarisation across different countries with the contribution of grassroot activists.

You can order a paperback version here.