Inside : SO Ffre ME Recruiters P
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.. Ill.l.in.1, ••.-..- ,,i ,,., „„T M~^—,^..«.M«..».,,J^-^—a. in il i r vol.1 n.1 January 1975 ::: LJ a 11 D a THIS PAPER DOES NOT NECESSARILY EXPRESS JJ VW7 THE OPINION OF THE ARMED FORCES. THIS PAPER CANNOT BE TAKEN FROM YOU ACCORDING ENLISTED PEOPLES ORGANIZING. COMMITTEE TO DoD Directive 1325,6 NAVY SHAFTS NUKES, r^H^Ti^i ffß* NUKES FIGHT BACK On November 5 More than 40 people were dropped from the Navy's Nuclear Power School at Mare Island near San Francisco. Although the command cited "inferior aca demic performance" as the reason for the dismissals, the Navy quickly began shipping the men out before they could question the decision. Six sailors were able to gat a civilian attorney through the Bay Area Military Law Panel and they are fighting backi The attorney for the six quickly filed in Fed eral Court for a temporary restraining order to stop the Navy from shipping the men out ».*ï# m- » * * .* *•*.*• * ». *#*.#•** # ,.*"".- •&L^Z3> %** iNSidE : SO FfRE ME Recruiters P. 5 AFL-CiO: Â Gl UNION?? I know it may sound hard to believe but the American Federation of Govern Women P. 7 ment Employees (AFGE) is planning to start an organizing drive among active duty military. The Union's plans were U.S.S. Mickey Mouse P.6 first disclosed in the Wall Street Journal on June 27 of this year. Of course, the announcement scared legal heip& more the shit out of top Pentagon officials: "Sheer horror", exclaimed an Army ral, i!i£ you analyse the meaning #*.#»** *•<»»»*-»» *.*»#.**•*'<•• #•* •.* * • • * » CONT'D P. 3 FROM P.l 2 before their dismissals were investigated. The sailors, all with good military records, are suing the Navy for discharge claiming it did not live up to its part of the contract. All of the men had signed long enlistments just for Nuclear Power School. Several o£ the men have told Stars and Strikes of instances of recruiter fraud and they are filing an Art, 135- a request for a court of inquiry into the Navy's recruiting practice. This is what some of the Nuclear Power trainees had to say; ONE NAVY MM3 WRITES On November 5, 1975, over forty enlisted Nuclear Field Candidates were' dropped from the Nuclear Power Pre-School, Mare Island, California. Nuclear ceiling. The reason for the drop was stated our own benefit« Now those of us as "markedly inferior academic marks". dropped are wondering what our own Of the forty that were dropped, benefit was« five have stayed on at Treasure The Nuclear Power drops caused a large Island to contest this action. amount of static at the transient command. The day after the drop many of The command then decided to reveiw all the sailors started asking how records and get a ruling from Washington the Navy could drop students from on the overall situation at Treasure a school that had no bearing on Island» It took roughly three days for their performance at the Nuclear the ruling to come from Washington; and Power Training Course. When when it did come, it contridicted the first asked, the Personnel Depart Navy's Supers Manual, Chapter six, and ment at Treasure Island confirmed what the Personnel people had told us» the fact that Pre-School was not If the ruling had been the same as it a part of the course of instruction. stated in the Supers Transfer Manual, Chapter six of the Enlisted Trans the Navy would then have had to dis fer Manual also confirms this state charge or re-instate the Nuclear Power ment. Chapter six says, and I quote, drops. And as we all know, the Armed "Completion of these courses, while Forces do not want to admit they irre not mandatory, will be of assistance wrong» to the student during the. Basic Nuc Before the drop from this school, there lear Power CourseT Any one of the were rumors that the newest class was students dropped could have gone to the largest ever to attend the school a Career Counslor at their previous at Mare Island,. Also, that a large cuty station, ordered and completed number of students would have to be the prescribed non-mandatory sub dropped» The only positive reason for jects, which were basic mathematics this drop is that the Navy eannot or and college level physics,. It was will not bother to train these students» also said, by the'commanding Therefore, it would be rauch easier officer of the Nuclear Power to eliminate the students than to buy School, that the Pre-School was for the extra supplies« CONT'D P. 4 thousands of GIs in the Phillipines and in Europe pressed demands upon the brass UNION not only for demobilization and discharges but for greater democratic rights for GIs» of military discipline, you can't The result of this struggle was a number tolerate any organization that competes of reforms in the military "justice" with the chain of command." system. Believe it or not, the UCMJ is Rut chances ara pretty good that the one of those reforms. Of course, it didn't brass will get over their shock because go nearly as far as the GIs wanted or even the AFGE is not the kind of union that as far as presidential commissions had rocks the boat, Clyde 'Webber, President recommanded« of the AFGE has made it clear that his During the Vietnam era, a number of Union is only interested in "bread and groups tried to organize in the military-- butter" matters. the American Servicemen's Union and Vietnam Veterans Against the War among others» But. these groups, just like the GIs in 1946, weren't afraid to tackle problems that might interfere with "military discipline". They took up fights against Article 15's (Captain*sMast or Office; Hours), they fought the racism in the military system, they defended GIs who protested against what the military was doing in Vietnam; they encouraged GIs to see themselves as workers and. to not allow them selves to be used against other workers in war or as strike breakers. So the AFGE is just a day late and a dollar short- But one thing Is for sure; If the AFGE can overcome the Pentagon objections and certain legal obstacles, their organizing drive is bound to be successful. They already have 290,000 civilian employees on military bases. They will sell us a bill _u_W of goods and they will turn out to be a When you think, of it, the AFGE do-nothing union. They will only mess announcement should come as no surprise with pay and benefits and their record shows to any of us. Since the establishment they don't even do that very well.» Just in 1971 of the "all volunteer" armed like do-nothing AFL-CIO unions in the forces, the military has been played up civilian workforce, rank and file caucuses as the best job around*. "Navy .TTmore will have to be organized to deal with than just a paycheck,»" "The Air Force problems of racism, discipline and harass 'superjobs' and lifetime skills", so ment, discriminatory treatment of women, to read some of the recruiting ads. People say nothing of future Vietnams1' are selecting a military career as a Keep in tune with what the AFGE is up to. means of livelihood, not for patriotic Talk about it with your friends in the reasons, It is reasonable then for GIs military. Organize yourselves and get a to expect, some of the advantages of a job jump on the AFGE. J^t in "the world". And for the. AFGE to start thinking about those, potential dues paying merabers. It's a well prove fact that if a whole lot of people have common interests, the best way to get ahead is to get together, ^IK -?f organize and fight for those interests. An organization of soldiers almost got off the ground in 1946 'when GIs began to <9» protest that post-war demobilization was not going fast enough. Demonstrations of eiy r best, 150 pages oi Elec NültES tronics.• 1 made It through that school If vou are in the military and you in 14 day». 1 was sent to a school, and ' I to find out v: at« you have. within a-wi ek J Was elected class iead- jndef the military frostwork, 1 er 1 y my superior Petty Officer«. «aacnd a good book for you Lo ï^adi iiùut A sciiool I managed to make It is called "Turnii>g TJ. .nci", if through every cut-off list and most published i'i 19 74 ' of all, maintained an excellent con •he San f)j«go T. a Ar OUCH1 duct record. I graduated from A school Coramittee. For with a 78% average, and my evaluation I rin •' nu 1 it. - d.-.,' : , grades'wei> end above, based on a ,<i.y wOUDieut. If you arc going .U go into 4.U system Qualifying for Naval tiuc- • ool waa hard, but I felt juat for the.hen of it, read every got se 1 iiafi finally made it. thing you ere sup] ce». 1 •• • Be on recruiting duty Don't let a . yuu on teks li. which I worked that school. In ate it on your I the supposedly good rep- ii you ce Manua . àtioa i.f the Navy and its mission. like Bupereinet 130$, peed täte whole • September 26 I left on a cross chapter. Tiit peccvitere* job. is to country, flight to meet my dfeam. Naval paint- a rosy picture for you».