Effie Dilworth, left, and Sandy Thacker, right, tabling at a local high school with a poster titled “Ten Points to Consider Before You Sign a Military Enlistment Agreement.” On the table is a wheel for the kids to spin with possible non-military careers to consider.

By Sandy Thacker
Membership Chair and Treasurer, East Bay WILPF

Before Enlisting is a project to provide high school students, parents, and teachers with the full picture of what military service is really like. We talk about questions they should ask before signing a military enlistment agreement and about the many nonmilitary alternatives for young people after graduation.  

This counter recruitment project was originally started in the East Bay by Grandmothers Against Warunder the auspices of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). Several members of the East Bay and San Francisco branches of WILPF have joined with other women activists and veterans to form the group Before Enlisting. We go into high school classrooms and show a 20-minute film entitled Before You Enlistcreated by AFSC.

Following the film, veterans talk to the students about their personal experiences during and after their military service, followed by a discussion about the realities of war and an exploration of peaceful solutions to conflicts. Materials are available to help students make informed decisions about their future.

Becky O’Malley, who was a member of Grandmothers Against War, wrote a recently published editorial on this topic in the Berkeley Daily Planet.

If members of other branches of WILPF would like to consider doing counter recruitment work in their area, you are welcome to check out our website and contact us. We would love to help you get started.