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Home Front: Culture Wars
Suit Claims Defense Dept. Data Use Illegal
2006-04-25
NEW YORK (AP) - The Defense Department is violating the privacy of millions of high school students nationwide with a detailed database it uses for military recruitment, a federal lawsuit filed Monday alleges claims.

The New York Civil Liberties Union sued on behalf of six high schoolers, saying the department is ignoring privacy rules set by Congress regarding the collection and distribution of students' personal information.

Military officials have said they have about 30 million names in the database. The Pentagon said last year the list includes high school students ages 16-18 and college students, and includes such information as the students' Social Security numbers, gender and race.

Hope Reichbach, a 17-year-old senior at Hunter College High School in Manhattan and a plaintiff, said she contacted the NYCLU after she had tried unsuccessfully to get her name removed from lists and databases that she said subjected her to repeated phone calls from military recruiters."I want them to leave me and other students alone," Reichbach said.
You don't speak for the other students.
The department allegedly is flouting a 1982 military recruitment law that specifies that it refrain from collecting information on students under 17, that it store the information for no more than three years and that the information be kept private, the lawsuit said. The current database includes information on 16-year-olds, is storing the information for five years and is being shared with law enforcement and other agencies, the lawsuit said.

Megan Gaffney, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office, declined to comment on the lawsuit Monday.
"Criminy, the ACLU again? Go away."
The plaintiffs are six 16- and 17-year-old students who don't know if they are included in the database, but who object to it, lawyers said. "Our clients don't wish to join the military," said Corey Stoughton, NYCLU attorney.
Okay, so don't. It's a volunteer service.
Posted by:Steve White

#12  trailing daughter #1 did pretty well on her PSATs last autumn. University seduction letters (including several of the military programs) and invitations to various expensive youth leadership conferences started arriving in the mail box about two weeks later, long before we or the high school were informed of her scores. Which implies that informing the seducers is a higher priority for the SAT/ACT people than is informing the test takers. *shrug* It's all part of the game.
Posted by: trailing wife   2006-04-25 19:40  

#11  Wow, I figured it was a 2 year deal. That's crazy.
Posted by: 6   2006-04-25 19:09  

#10  Steve,

My tour ran from Sept.9, 1989 to Sept 17, 1993, and every bit of it was a nightmare. Seventy hour weeks were the rule, and the leadership was a disgrace to the USAF. Recruiting duty is so miserable that a few years ago when some NCOs with 10-12 years in were ordered to recruiting posts (it is normally a voluntary slot in the AF), they left the service rather than do the time.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2006-04-25 12:49  

#9  When I was a junior, the mail spam started rolling in. The only way they could have gotten my info was from the school. Just throw the crap away, don't sue. Morons. This is nothing more than an anti-military bash by loons.
Posted by: DarthVader   2006-04-25 10:20  

#8  Until your fingers wear off.
Posted by: Steve White   2006-04-25 10:01  

#7   was expected to make roughly 200-300 calls per day
Jeebus, how long does that tour last?
Posted by: 6   2006-04-25 08:59  

#6  NYCLU = New York Commie Lawyers for the Ummah
Posted by: DanNY   2006-04-25 08:41  

#5  Thanks, Mike.
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2006-04-25 08:17  

#4  Deacon,
USAF recruiting procedure is that you cold call EVERY name on every list, and woe unto the poor SOB who doesn't. I worked what was at the time the largest single recruiting zone in the largest flight in the largest recruiting squadron in the USAF, and I was expected to make roughly 200-300 calls per day. Things have probably changed considerably with the advent of the net and some major changes in the way the USAF advertises (at the time, they REFUSED to buy TV or radio time - policy was that the stations should do their patriotic duty and PSA it. This resulted in recruiting commercials at 0330 local.)and there may be less emphasis on calls, but it will still be one of the pillars.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2006-04-25 08:01  

#3  A young man who does not have what it takes to perform military service is not likely to have what it takes to make a living.
--John F. Kennedy--
Posted by: Besoeker   2006-04-25 07:52  

#2  Schools do more than sell lists to advertisers. My wife was Puerto Rican so my daughters are considered Hispanic by the school systems here. In her Senior year my youngest started getting solicitations in the mail from Hispanic magazines and Hispanic organizations wanting her to join. The only way they could have got her information was from the school system. I confronted them and they did admit they sell lists to a lot of organizations. I blew up. They sell the names, addresses, and racial make-up of their students. In my view a very sordid practice. She never got phone calls from military recruiters but did get mail, which I don't mind. I would not like a phone call. I don't know any recruiters who make phone calls unless the potential enlistee has previously contacted a recruiter. I don't think that is a common practice. Does somebody know for certain?
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2006-04-25 07:49  

#1  ...Okay, reality check: The 'database' is no more and no less than the student rosters for each school. The overwhelming majority of schools in each state kick 'em out every summer for the recruiters. A lot of school systems wouldn't give them to us except for one dirty little secret:

They sell the lists to advertisers. Guessing you won't see that mentioned much though.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2006-04-25 06:39  

00:00