The STARBASE Conspiracy

Here are some bare-bones details that I’ve dug up in my research regarding the STARBASE conspiracy. I stumbled across this conspiracy at the Portland Indymedia site, but it’s article “link to article about ‘STARBASE’ military recruitment in Portland Public School shitstem” gives only a link (the original post was mal-formatted). This link leads to a post at the site PPS [Portland Public Schools] Equity in which an outraged parent decries the STARBASE military recruitment program that hauls “at-risk” (the new euphemism for “poor”) “kindergarten through 12th grade” kids off to military bases for enrichment training in science. This program does not haul away “not-at-risk” (rich) kids at schools in wealthy districts for science training and subliminal military recruitment. (The kids at the wealthy districts have their own non-military enrichment programs.) The PPS Equity post is Here. It rambles a bit, but gives the basic facts. But I have turned up even more info, and wow!

This is quite simply a Department of Defense funded progam that operates across the entire United States. You must Google –STARBASE education– to really understand how pervasive it is. It involves virtually every branch of the armed forces and National Guard, and also agencies like the (state) Connecticut Military Department (CT STARBASE Program). According to GlobalSecurity.org STARBASE is an acronym for Science and Technology Academies Reinforcing Basic Aviation and Space Exploration. The (state) Connecticut Military Department uses the same acronym. There is (to further obfuscate matters) also a NASA based STARBASE program for high school students: “Funded as a NASA Office of Space Science education program, STARBASE (Students Training for Achievement in Research Based on Analytical Space-science Experiences) consists of a network of networks, developed to connect high school students and teachers with cutting edge research.”

So: Military recruitment for “at risk” (poor) children now begins (in the name of science enrichment) in kindergarten. However, this wonderful program is not offered to “not-at-risk” (rich) students. How unfair!

The STARBASE program doesn’t look like much of a conspiracy in it’s current Wikipedia entry Wikipedia -STARBASE. I never trusted Wikipedia anyway. From their current page:

“STARBASE is a nonresidential educational program for students (grades K-12) that provides them with real-world applications of math and science. It was created in 1989 through a grant from the Kellogg Foundation. The first STARBASE program began at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan. The STARBASE program provides an innovative approach to addressing three critical problems facing America’s youth: poor preparation in math and science, lack of personal direction, and drug abuse. The STARBASE mission is accomplished through exciting hands-on curricula and positive caring role models provided by the STARBASE team and military personnel. Beginning in Fiscal Year 1993 (FY93), Congress appropriated $2M to the Air National Guard (ANG) to establish five STARBASE sites. Today the program is authorized pursuant to 10 U.S.C. § 2193, as a science and mathematics education improvement program. The Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve, Navy, and Marine Corps participate in this program.”

Wikipedia seems not to mention that the STARBASE enrichment/recruitment program is not available to “not-at-risk” (rich) students. Hmm…