In a policy statement issued October 30, 2012, the American Public Health Association is recommending that young people delay entry into the Armed Forces until full adulthood and, for this reason, they oppose military recruitment in elementary and secondary schools. Largely the basis of their position has to do with adolescents' inability to make wise choices that have lifelong implications. In the policy statement they cite numerous studies that show the adolescent brain isn't developed to the point that it can make these types of decisions. Link to the full article here.

Northwest Suburban Peace & Education Project has been following this issue for a number of months. Our tabling theme for April was drones; specifically drone warfare. We put together this factsheet. Feel free to download and share. And checkout some of the following websites: Tulsa Peace Fellowship, Code Pink, Voices for Creative Nonviolence, and Drones Watch. There is a very powerful video on the website Living Under Drones Link to it here. And this piece that aired on NBC on October 29 - "Eyes In The Sky".

Link to this article about domestic drones published in the New York Times.

This article examines the psychological toll that drone warfare is taking.

Link to an interactive graph of drone strikes in Pakistan.

We hosted a forum and panel discussion in September. Link to a report here.

As the death toll of US soldiers in Afghanistan hits 2,000, it barely makes a mention in the press. Link to this NBC report for details. The 2,000th soldier to be killed was a 21 year old from North Carolina. Click here for a profile.