Military Out
of Our Schools
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Liberating Military Data an Activists' Mini-Guide
Information is the fuel of activism. After obtaining the schedules of military recruiting trucks, we've warned targeted communities who have then won equal access for military critics. Activists have used data about the costs of JROTC to convince school boards to reject the program. Facts showing that the military has made a profit from the GI Bill convince youth not to enlist.
Many activists are intimidated by the idea of trying to obtain information from the military. Military information is not as readily available as it should be, but it's more accessible than you might think. Usually, calling the Pentagon will net you the information you're looking for. When that doesn't work, filing a request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a powerful tool. For our work countering the militarization of schools, it is also useful to get information from local military recruiters and school district administrators.
Utilizing Your Friendly Neighborhood
Pentagon Public Affairs Office
Many people mistakenly believe that the best or even the only way of getting information is to file a formal Freedom of Information Act request. It's almost always quicker and easier to pick up the phone, call the Pentagon, and ask. When calling, be friendly, because the person you're calling is a potential ally. Members of the armed forces and civilian Department of Defense (DoD) employees are often eager to explain their jobs to interested outsiders.
The simplest place to start is at the DoD Public Affairs office headquarters (see chart below). You can often get more comprehensive information by calling the public affairs offices of specific departments (i.e. Naval JROTC public affairs). It is public affairs officers' job to make information available to the public, especially reporters. Writers for nonprofit magazines, newsletters, and `zines also qualify as journalists. You should identify yourself as a reporter to each person you reach, so that anything they say is on the record. Tell public affairs officers what your deadline is. Unfortunately, requests from mainstream journalists will often spring information more quickly.
You can also ask a Public Affairs officer to put you in touch with someone who works directly on your issue of concern. If someone says they don't know the information you're asking for, note their name, get a referral to another office, and tell the next office who told you to call them. Soon, your head will be spinning as you ricochet through the bureaucratic labyrinth. Be persistent, call multiple times, and leave messages asking officials to fax specific data to you.
If an official refuses or delays your request for unclassified records, ask someone else in the same (or a related) office. Alternatively, ask to speak to the commanding officer or supervisor of the recalcitrant employee. Informing people that you're willing to go up their chain of command, and doing so when necessary, can be very effective. Remind officials that taxpayers pay for government information, and it is the job of government employees to convey that information to you. With a determined sense of entitlement, insist on getting the information that is rightfully yours. The FOIA of 1966 ratified the principle that the public has the right to know, and put the burden of proof on the government to justify withholding data.
Understanding FOIA Requests
Filing a formal FOIA request shouldn't be your first step, but understanding which records are legally available to the public is helpful whenever searching for government info. The FOIA applies to records held by federal executive branch agencies, including the military, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Education. Any item containing information that is in the control of an agency is usually under FOIA's scope (including computer records).
There are nine grounds upon which a FOIA request can be legally turned down: national security, internal personnel rules and practices, statutorily exempt records (e.g. individual tax returns), trade secrets, internal government communications relating to decision making processes (but not the factual data upon which decisions were based), personal privacy (e.g. personnel records), information that would interfere with law enforcement, banks' financial records, and geological data. All other records should be made available upon request.
Nonprofits requesting information for educational use are eligible for a fee-waiver, so FOIAs can be free. Theoretically, FOIA requests are to be answered (not necessarily fulfilled) within ten business days. Don't hold your breath. After the deadline has passed, call the agency's FOIA officer to inquire about your request and to let them know you won't go away. File appeals if necessary.
To get sample FOIA requests, and to learn more about appeals, contact Nader's FOIA clearinghouse for a free guide, or contact our office directly.
Getting Local Information
Regional military recruiting commands are excellent sources of information. Such commands know which schools and recruiting stations are recruiting the greatest number of students. They also have detailed itineraries for military recruiting trucks. To get this data, call a local recruiting station, and ask for a public affairs officer. They'll refer you to the regional public affairs office.
Sometimes it's more difficult to get data from school districts than it is from the military. Each district has policies regulating military recruiters' access to student lists, testing data, career fairs, classrooms, lunchrooms, career centers, billboards, and libraries, and it's useful to learn what these policies are. State equivalents of the FOIA (also called Sunshine Acts) vary widely, though they do recognize the key principle that governmental information is public information.
If you're researching the local costs of JROTC, ask for the school district's finance and/or budget office, rather than the JROTC office. Ask how much the district spends for JROTC programs (salaries, benefits, remodeling costs if it's a new unit, travel, supplies, etc.), and how much the DoD reimburses to the district. If the unit received no special subsidy or is more than five years old, the net cost to the district will be around $50,000 (or more). If the unit is new and receiving special subsidies, or a JROTC career academy, get the budget office's predictions for the costs of the program for each of the next five years, because the net costs to the district will sharply escalate.
School Boards are notorious for sending out notices for meetings two days in advance with agenda items such as, "Debate on amendment 31J on Rule 4367b regarding contract #84658-723." Often, the only way to know about upcoming proposals is to be in regular contact with the most sympathetic member of your local school board. If school administrators are hiding information (about plans, costs, or policies), it's usually possible to get the information through a board member. Utilizing school board meetings to ask, "Why is this information being covered up?" will get people's attention. Informing officials that you intend to take such actions can also be effective. Again, requests for information by mainstream journalists will often meet with swifter success.
For more information on the Freedom of Information Act:
Nader's FOIA Clearinghouse, 202-588-7790, (excellent, detailed, guides, plus links to other useful FOIA web pages)
Freedom of Information Act Group Inc. (for profit, but useful information), 202-408-7028 |