Questions About a Military Release Form

Hey folks, so my school is asking for a military release form. I'm a bit confused, can anyone provide some information on what this is about and why it's necessary? Thanks in advance!

Sure, happy to help! The military release form that your school is asking for is likely in relation to the federal law known as the Solomon Amendment. The Solomon Amendment essentially requires high schools to provide military recruiters with the same access to secondary school students as they provide to colleges and potential employers. As part of this, schools can also be required to provide certain student information to military recruiters unless the student (or their parents, in the case of students under 18) opt out of this sharing.

The form you've been asked to provide is most likely this opt-out form. By submitting this form, you're indicating that you would prefer your school to not share your personal information with military recruiters. The form does not exclude you from any military service or ROTC scholarship opportunities, rather, it just means you won't be directly contacted for recruitment purposes.

Why is this form necessary? Well, the basic goal of the form is to ensure student privacy rights are respected while also maintaining compliance with federal law. The idea is to find a balance between what the law requires and what is most beneficial and appropriate for the individual student. The decision to fill out this form is entirely personal, and largely rests on your personal interest (or lack thereof) in being contacted by military recruiters.

I hope this helps clarify the issue. If you have further doubts or need more details, do not hesitate to ask.