PDF of Military Recruitment Contract (49k)

	Illustration: Michael Duffy

Critical literacy activities can protect students against predatory military recruiting

By Bill Bigelow

Emiliano Santiago.

Not many of our students know his name. But they should. Santiago joined the Oregon Army National Guard on June 28, 1996, shortly after his high school graduation in Hermiston, Ore. He served honorably, became a sergeant, and was discharged in June 2004, after eight years in the Guard.

But last October, more than three months after his discharge, the government extended Santiago's termination date—to December 24, 2031. Yes, 2031; it's not a misprint. Santiago's unit was ordered to report on Jan. 2, 2005, to Fort Sill, Okla., where it would join other soldiers being sent to Afghanistan.