[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 7470]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      MILITARY RECRUITMENT TACTICS

  (Mr. BLUMENAUER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, this weekend the Portland Oregonian 
reported a troubling story of an 18-year-old high school student with 
autism in my district who, despite his disability, was recruited into 
the Army as a cavalry scout, over the strong objection of his parents, 
and in violation of military rules.
  To place somebody with his disability in a combat role would create 
an entirely unnecessary risk of harm, not just to him, but other 
members of his unit who would have to rely on him.
  I have written to the Secretary of Defense calling for an 
investigation in this case, which does not appear to be an isolated 
incident. Accusations of recruitment abuse are at record levels as 
recruiters face extreme pressure to meet enlistment targets and quotas.
  I am concerned that the military has created a situation where 
recruiters are pressured to act in unethical and possible illegal ways 
in order to successfully fulfill their orders.
  I believe we need a real investigation into the breadth of such 
requirement practices, and that new safeguards must be put in place to 
ensure that what happened to my young constituent doesn't happen to any 
other young man or woman.
  Our Nation cannot produce the finest fighting force in the world 
without also demanding the most rigorous standards of conduct in all 
ranks of the military.

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