Peace Recruiter - Peace and Justice Center of Nevada County

The Challenge

The Peace Recruiting Mission is to promote a culture of peace in the Nevada Joint Union High School District community and to provide information and resources about careers, further education and the risks and realities of military enlistment so that every student has complete information to choose their future.

Work that contributes to the well-being of society is the most important and rewarding job anyone can do!

Federal Student Aid

Completing the FAFSA is the first step toward getting financial aid for college, career school, or graduate school. Even if you didn’t qualify in the past, you should still complete the FAFSA. States, schools and even private scholarships use FAFSA info to award the financial aid that they have available. Don’t miss out on the opportunity!

Check this link for the Facebook page: Federal Student Aid.

Child or Spouse of a veteran with service-connected disability?

Check the California College Fee Waiver Program! Contact the Veterans Services Office, 988 McCourtney Rd, Grass Valley. Call (530) 265-7088.

Signed up for the D.E.P? Not sure you want to go?

You don’t have to go! You are not subject to military law until you report for Basic Training. The oath you take to become a member of the Delayed Entry Program does not make you legally obligated to go to Basic Training and be in the military. Your recruiter wants you to believe that you will get in trouble, even arrested if you don’t go. You will have to stand up to considerable pressure from your recruiter (or avoid him!).

You just need to send a simple letter to the commander of the recruiting station requesting a “separation” that explains why you are unable or unwilling to serve. Recruiters do not have the authority to approve your request. They will try to “re-sell” you or sell you on the reserves. Under US Military Regulations they are not allowed to threaten, coerce, manipulate or intimidate D.E.P. members nor may they obstruct separation requests. The military itself lists the following reasons as acceptable D.E.P. discharge categories: Conscientious Objection, Pursuit of Higher Education or Vocational School, Civilian Job Opportunity, Failure to Graduate High School, Marriage, Children, Family Financial Hardship, Personal Problems, “Other”.

Career Exploration

The ASVAB is a 4 hour aptitude test for military service. Your score determines how important you are to military recruiters. To learn more about yourself and find what careers and/or college majors might suit you, consider the free vocational counseling offered at Alliance For Workforce Development, Inc. at 988 McCourtney Rd, Grass Valley. Call (530) 265-7088.

Concerned about Rape in the Military?

The Pentagon estimates that 56 sexual assaults involving the U.S. military take place each day, that about one quarter are reported and about one in 60 results in jail time. The Pentagon’s numbers include attacks on family and other civilians. It appears that about four times as many sexual assults occur in the military as in the general U.S. Population. At the highest risk U.S. naval base in Charleston, 17 % of women surveyed reported that they had been sexually assaulted.

Attackers are most often known to the victim and are of higher rank. Those brave enough to report an assault are ignored, undermined, belittled, blamed, ganged up on, punished disproportionately for unrelated infractions, accused of being complicit, and encouraged not to pursue action. Victims who report are 12 times more likely to face retaliation as a result of that report than to see their abuser convicted for the crime. Quitting has serious repercussions — you are legally bound to complete your contracts and face potential jail time for going AWOL. Victims are often drummed out of the military with less-than-honorable discharges for “personality disorders” they do not have.

Those trying to change the military are focused on passing the Military Justice Improvement Act, or MJIA, which would remove the decision over which cases to prosecute from commanders and give it to impartial and trained military legal officers. Currently in the military justice system the final decision to go forward with charges rests with commanders. Despite broad support for these changes military commanders have so far resisted this change to their justice system.