Dump the DOD Database

by Rachel Neumann
October 17, 2005
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/themix/26971/

If you're between 16 and 25 years-old, you've probably heard that the U.S. Army wants you, but did you know how bad? The Joint Advertising and Market Research Studies (JAMRS) Recruiting Database is a Department of Defense project that collects tons of previously private information from schools, Internet service providers, and private information collection agencies, and stores it in one place with the sole purprose of helping military recruiters.

The database would contain Social Security Numbers, race, religion, income status, and educational information on up to 25 million people as young as 16 years old. According to Electronic Privacy Information Center, one of the hundred organizations opposing JAMRS, the database would be operated by a commercial data marketing company, and individuals would not be able to opt-out.

The Dump the DOD Database Coalition is asking the Department of Defense to drop the database and is asking Congress to review whether the database is in violation of the Privacy Act.

If you want to find out if you or your child is in this database, you can write a letter requesting access to your file under the Privacy Act. This letter must contain your full name, Social Security Number, date of birth, current address, and telephone number. Send your request to "The Department of Defense, Defense Human Resources Activity, c/o JAMRS, Direct Marketing Program Officer, Defense Human Resources Activity, 4040 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 200, Arlington, Virginia 22203-1613.

Of course, writing a letter to the Department of Defense requesting information is probably just anti-patriotic enough to get you listed on another database, the infamous "no-fly" list.