An Army of one wrong recruit

[Rose Siding]

snip>
"When Jared first started talking about joining the Army, I thought, 'Well, that isn't going to happen,' " said Paul Guinther, Jared's father. "I told my wife not to worry about it. They're not going to take anybody in the service who's autistic."

But they did. Last month, Jared came home with papers showing that he not only had enlisted, but also had signed up for the Army's most dangerous job: cavalry scout. He is scheduled to leave for basic training Aug. 16.
...
The Portland Army Recruiting Battalion Headquarters opened its investigation into Jared's case last week after his parents called The Oregonian and the newspaper began asking questions about his enlistment.
...
Brenda said she spoke to Cpl. Ronan Ansley and explained that Jared had a disability, autism, that could not be outgrown. She said Ansley told her he had been in special classes, too -- for dyslexia.

"I said, 'Wait a minute, there's a big difference between autism and your problem,' " Brenda said....

"{Ansley's supervisor} was real cocky and he says, 'Well, Jared's an 18-year-old man. He doesn't need his mommy to make his decisions for him.' "

http://www.oregonlive.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/news/1146882329307730.xml&coll=7

[reichstag911]

1. The new "New Colossus":

"...Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,"
For my liege, the Dear Leader in Washington,
Needs more cannon fodder to die in ignominy.

[Divernan]

2. Autistic boy scored 43 out of 99 on Army test; Army will accept 31 ! ! !

How easy must this test be if an autistic boy can score 43 on it? And what does this indicate about the abilities/competence of someone who could only score 31? I know functioning adult autistics, that is, like Jared, they can handle a simple, repetitive janitor's job. If you interfere with their routine they get extremely frustrated and excited and stubborn. For instance, if someone cuts in front of them in line at a convenience store, they will use physical force to reclaim their place. So to put someone like this in military training with loaded weapons is a recipe for absolute bloody disaster. I doubt this young man would survive the training. He would end up dead or court martialed.

[billybob537]

4. Hey wait a minute Bush scored 31

[Wickerman]

6. Many people with Autism can test well

sometimes even extremely, particularly on a broad spectrum test like the ASVAB. He could've scored well on some subsections and tanked some others.

And I agree, this guy doesn not need to be anywhere near the military. His own mental and physical health would suffer and as one uncle stated in the article, its pretty unlikely he could back up a buddy if there were trouble. As a scout, with his limitations, he was to be used for cannon fodder, simple as that. sad.

[Scriptor Ignotus]

17. I just saw that!

amazing and scary. Very very scary.

[bloom]

20. Test scores

My daughter with Asperger's could probably ace their test . And then in basic training as soon as they yelled at her - she would have a meltdown and they would have to send her to the infirmary. I don't think she would make it through the first day.


That is not to say that everyone with Autism or Asperger's is the same - but it sounds like this young man was unfairly manipulated and he shouldn't be signed up.

[benddem]

21. that's what I thought

I'm sure he'd have washed out of basic.

[MADem]

24. At a cost of twenty grand to the taxpayers, just so some corporal can

make goal one month and not be yelled at by HIS supervisor.

The whole recruiting system is sick. It makes weak people do disgusting things, and stronger people flirt with abandoning their integrity. All for the greater glory of War Without End, Amen...

[MADem]

23. Answer C whenever you don't know the answer

Odds are you'll meet the cutoff.

The other way you can score an "acceptable" score is if you hire someone who's smart enough to pass, and who looks like the applicant, to go take the test at a testing site away from where the kid will inprocess. It's illegal as hell, and done all the time.

[genieroze]

26. A 31? F-? good gawd

[Tom Joad]

3. This needs to be kicked, should be story of the day! Free Jared!

"After he had spoken for a few moments, Sgt. Alejandro Velasco (Stupidvisor of the recruiter who signed Jared) suddenly grabbed the reporter's tape recorder and tried to tear out the tape, stopping only after the reporter threatened to call the police."

Free Jared Now!

[MikeNearMcChord]

5. The will accept a young man with autism?

While thousands of young white middle to upper middle to upper class kids are not touched? Shame!

[BrklynLiberal]

7. Cannon fodder just needs to be able to walk.

:(

[dipsydoodle]

13. That is a truly dreadful

but quite accurate description of the situation.

[elehhhhna]

8. My neighbor has scoliosis and failed HIgh school. She starts basic 5/10.

[Tom Joad]

9. We might want to give Sgt. Velasco a call

eastport plaza shopping center
4000 se 82nd ave, suite 1100
portland, OR 97266
503-257-9950 <---- Number for Army Recruiting Station at Mall where Jared was recruited to die for a lie!

[MikeNearMcChord]

10. I think it should be higher than that

Find out the Army Recruiting Command for the Western region, as well as Congress, this is a disgrace.

[Tom Joad]

11. Time for another stand-down. We can make this happen.

Just one year ago this month, the US Army ordered a "stand down" of all military recruiters because of deceptive practices.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/05/11/army.recruiting/
Maj. Gen. Michael Rochelle, head of the Army Recruiting Command, is expected to make the announcement, which could come as early as Thursday.

The move follows a CBS News report of least two allegations of recruiting abuse.

In one case, the network reported a recruiter suggesting how a potential volunteer might cheat to pass a drug test, and in another, a sergeant threatened a prospect with arrest if he didn't report to a recruiting station.


The Stand-Down occurred on May 20th, 2005

What happened to the recruiter who threatened a prospect with arrest if he didn't report to the recruiting office?

He was promoted to become a supervisor.
********************************************
For those of you in the Oakland, CA area, please join us in our own Stand-Down at the Oakland Recruiting Station on May 15th. Support the right to refuse to fight wars.
http://www.couragetoresist.org

[dipsydoodle]

12. Please do not misinterpret this analogy.

Some of us are old enough to remember the Sgt Bilko episode where a monkey gets inducted into the military because the panel are not paying much attention to the interview process.

In the case of your son it would seem that due care was not taken. I obviously hope he suffers no harm.

[sarcasmo]

14. Send this to K.O. Kick and Nom

[Tom Joad]

15. See "Free Jared" Action Page

I set up a call to action Page for Jared and his family, and to hold accountable these unscrupulous recruiters. Included are contact info for the U.S. Army Recruiting Command
Douglas Smith [phone]/0172 Whip out those cell phones now!

Check it out at http://tomjoad.org/freejared.htm
Spread the Word!

[sheelz]

18. Thank you Tom Joad!

Could you also post this here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=106

:thumbsup:

[Doctor Panacea]

16. Autism

If he is really autistic, he will not be able to function in the military. He will be out.

[BrklynLiberal]

19. This made it onto COUNTDOWN tonight!!!

Recruiter is WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD!!!!

[Karenina]

22. Jared is the "canary in the coal mine"

tipping off all decent American citizens to the depths their WAR MACHINE has sunk.

[Tom Joad]

25. JARED IS FREE! Army releases him of his obligation.

http://www.tomjoad.org/freejared.htm

This really was crazy. But the pressures of enlisting men in a war of aggression that has met such courageous resistance make it nearly impossible to meet the demands of their leaders.

The real solution? first we shut down the war machine, then we will end this illegal and immoral war.