Kansas Students Say NO to Forced Military Testing

Every year 14,000 high schools give a test sponsored by the US military - the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). The ASVAB is used by the military as a recruitment tool. The test is supposed to be given on a voluntary basis, however many students are told that they don’t have a choice.

by Heidi Holliday
"Do you really want to take this test?" The bright yellow fliers were everywhere. It was Monday, October 23: the day before the ASVAB test was to be given to all seniors at Andover High School. A few students got together and made 200 fliers to distribute telling students that the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery was NOT mandatory, contrary to what they had been told by some school officials.

Just a few days earlier we learned that the ASVAB was to be administered to all seniors. We were not left with much time to raise awareness. A contact at the Peace and Social Justice Center of South Central Kansas put me in touch with the Youth and Militarism Program at the national office of the American Friends Service Committee, and things began to fall together. We found out that the test was mostly used for military recruitment purposes and that it could not be required. We also found out that it was our constitutional right to distribute whatever information we wanted within reason. But by then, all we could really do was wait for school to start on Monday.

I got to school early Monday morning to tell the principal what we were doing. I thought it was wise to be completely honest with the school about our concerns. The principal even told me that there were some tests that could be required; however, ASVAB was not one of them. This statement ran counter to what some students had been told by other school officials.

Our (very small) "army" of three leafleters divided up the fliers and distributed them to seniors, explaining their right to refuse to take the test. Many people seemed interested. We advised them to bring notes from their parents saying that they were not interested in the test and would rather attend class or do an alternate activity.

Tuesday morning we tried some last chance recruiting of our own, but students were apprehensive after being told by a guidance counselor that they would not get help in their college searches (she would not write letters of recommendations to colleges) if they refused to take the ASVAB. One girl took her note to the gymnasium where the test was to be administered and was told that she would have to sit there for three hours while everyone else took the test. She was the only one who refused to have anything to do with the test.

Students who failed to report to the gymnasium received an unexcused absence. Several more students had parental notes excusing them from the test, but felt intimidated after being told that there were some things in life that had to be done, and ASVAB was one of them (so just "suck it in and do it"). Those who did not sign their release forms giving permission to the military to use their test scores for recruiting purposes were brought to the front of the gymnasium and hassled until they did. Some students, although not directly refusing to take the test, instead drew pictures all over their answer forms, thereby making the results impossible for the military to use.

In the days following the test, complaints were many and frustration was high. Many students felt as if they were not told all their options and that the school should have handled the situation differently.

One girl made up a questionnaire about the ASVAB, asking if people felt forced into taking it, whether they were told they had to take it, if they felt there would be consequences if they refused to take it, and whether they would have taken it had they known more about their options. We made 200 copies to distribute, and 80 were returned. Seven out of eight of the responses had some complaint about the manner of the testing. One senior girl met with the principal the week after the test, bringing our concerns to his attention once more. The principal said he would issue an apology to the senior class, and that the guidance counselor who threatened not to help seniors who refused to take the ASVAB test in their college search was being dealt with.

This year was the first year, to my knowledge, that my high school tried to make ASVAB required. In years past, only those who had an interest in enlisting took the test. However, I have a feeling the school might think twice before trying this next year!!

About the Author

Heidi Holliday is a high school junior in South Central Kansas.

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