NNOMY stands for National Network Opposing the Militarization of Youth.
It is a network of organizations and individuals who advocate for counter-recruitment and anti-militarism efforts, particularly in schools and communities. NNOMY works to promote peace, justice, and to challenge the militarization of young people and the perpetuation of violence and war. The network provides resources, support, and networking opportunities for those working against militarism and for a more peaceful and just world.
We are a heavily militarized society. The fiscal year 2025 budget for the Department of War was $895 billion (Source), which was an increase of $54 billion over FY 2024 levels. From late 2001 through fiscal year 2022, the U.S. appropriated and is obligated to spend an estimated $8 trillion for the post-9/11 wars. (Source) Additionally, there is a plan to raise U.S. defense spending from 3% to 5% of gross domestic product in the years ahead. The Trump administration is proposing $1.01 Trillion for 2026. (Source) We spend more on defense than the next 9 countries combined.
The US has around 750 military bases around the globe in at least 80 countries. The actual number may even be higher as not all data is published by the Pentagon.
To support this ongoing effort our government seeks recruits.
We see evidence of this all around us: television ads, social media, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs, video games. Often this results in the military obtaining the contact information of young men and women. We decided to focus this year’s Back-to-School Kit on privacy issues; protecting our young men and women.
WHAT IS IN THIS KIT?
This year the 2025 Back-to-School Activist Kit for Counter-recruitment and School Demilitarization Organizing is focused on student privacy. We feature five areas in which the military has access to student contact information and present ways in which students, parents and community members can push back and, in the process, help to de-militarize our public schools.
HOW THE KIT IS ORGANIZED
There are five sections to the kit:
- ASVAB testing
- Opt-out
- JROTC permission
- Selective Service (the “draft”)
- JAMRS
We have included sample opt-out forms where applicable.
HOW TO USE THE KIT
The sections should be self-explanatory. All will require a bit of research to find out what your local school/school district is or is not doing to ensure student privacy and protect them from involuntary placement in military training classes.
Included in the 2025 Activist Back-to-School Kit are opt-out forms to tell your school district to withhold student information from the military for recruiting purposes and to respect your right to not consent that students be placed involuntarily into military corps programs and classes.
Find Out More:
Articles:
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Thousands of Teens Are Being Pushed Into Military’s Junior R.O.T.C., Mike Baker, Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, Ilana Marcu,New York Times, Dec. 11, 2022 https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/11/us/jrotc-schools-mandatory-automatic-enrollment.html
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Draft registration demands resistance, Ethan Foote, Waging Nonviolence, June 10, 2021 https://nnomy.org/index.php/en/home-73768/1045-draft-registration-demands-resistance.html?
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Playbook for a military draft, Edward Hasbrouck, Edward Hasbrouck's blog, July 8, 2024 https://nnomy.org/index.php/en/home-73768/1040-playbook-for-a-military-draft.html
Resources:
- Taskforce to End Compulsory Military Training in Schools, NNOMY, 2024
https://endcom.org/index.php - Access to schools / Information about accessing schools to counter recruiters / NNOMY / 2007 - 2024
https://nnomy.org/index.php/en/resources/downloads/access-to-schools.html
Support
- Please contact NNOMY with any questions. lfrank(at)nnomy.org or admin(at)nnomy.org
- Request a private Consultation with a NNOMY activist by sending your information by CONTACT FORM
Please stay in touch with @NNOMYpeace by SUBSCRIBING to our quarterly Newsletter
or
Please consider supporting
The National Network Opposing the Militarization of Youth
and our work to demilitarize our schools and youth by sending a check to our fiscal sponsor "in our name" at the
Alliance for Global Justice.
Donate Here
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Revised: 10/30/2025 GDG
