Protest Over Military Recruiting

POTOMAC, Md. (WUSA) -- Baghdad is over 6,000 miles away from Potomac, Maryland, but to these peace activists and parents the presence of a military recruiter at Churchill High School is too close for their comfort.

Leslie Tarantola has a child at Churchill. "We do not feel it's appropriate for the military to be allowed into the schools and to talk to kids during their classes and to get them to join the military."

Under the No Child Left Behind law, federally funded high schools must give military recruiters the same access to students as they do to college or job recruiters.

Dr. Curtis Gilroy formulates recruitment policy at the Pentagon. "The armed forces recruit approximately 180,000 each year for active duty and 140,000 for reserves and approximately 90% of those have high school diplomas, so it?s very important in that regard that the services have access to high schools."

Army officials say they expect to meet their recruitment goal for this year of 80,000. To reach that number, they are offering new financial incentives including a $20,000 signing bonus for those who can ship out quickly.

Parent Debbie Tolson says that's just too enticing. "That?s an incredible incentive for someone at that age who doesn?t really understand what they are doing."

But Jason Richards says he gets what enlisting would mean. "We need people for the war, and there?s no reason that they shouldn?t be allowed."

However not everyone thinks that recruiting should be allowed at school. Lauren Richards says, "I think Jason is wrong, because Churchill ? we?re all minors, and we?re all under 18, and I don?t think recruiters should come and pressure us to join the war."

The Pentagon?s man in charge of recruitment policy can agree with differing opinions. "We respect the views of those who do not favor our being in the high schools. We understand the mindset and concern of the counter recruiters, and we want to make sure that all understand that it's precisely the military that protects the views that they hold."