From WABI-TV5  “News at 6” 2/21/03

Craig Colson, anchor man
Sharon Pelletier, anchor woman

Alan Grover, reporting

Major Andrew Gibson, National Guard Chaplin

LTC John Mosher, Maine Army National Guard [begin transcript]

Sharon Pelletier: “Maine’s Army National Guard has a bone to pick with some of the state’s teachers and school officials.”

Craig Colson: “Officers with the Guard’s Family Assistance Program say that some of the children of deploying soldiers are being traumatized by educators who have anti-war views.  Allen Grover explains.”

Major Andrew Gibson: “… but I do know that it’s been coming from different communities and different school districts as we’ve moved through the state, ah  hearing that these kids have faced this.”

Alan Grover: “What the kids are facing is hearing that their mother or father is a bad person for taking part in the confrontation with Iraq; comments that are coming from teachers.  That’s according to officers with the Guard’s Family Assistance Program who’ve been traveling throughout the state this week.  The officers report that such incidents are relatively few in number but that they’ve occurred in practically every region of the state.”

Major Andrew Gibson: “Some kids have even reported that … ah … teachers have said things to them, specifically, about the  ah  unethical nature of their parent going off to fight.”

LTC John Mosher: “Soldiers follow our instructions to coordinate with schools to let them know they will be leaving, that their child should be monitored and to keep an eye on ‘em.  And when we get responses back like it’s our problem that we’re deploying or that our child is a result of an unethical act in supporting the country, in supporting the president, as a soldier, it’s unacceptable.”

Alan Grover: “Guard officials say that they are not suggesting that teachers should be censored but that point out that most of the Army kids who’ve been affected by the classroom criticism of the military are only 7 to 9 years old.  The Guard says tact in such cases is not too much to ask of Maine’s teachers.”

Major Andrew Gibson: “The separation from a parent for any reason is traumatic, so it’s important for us to be sensitive to that …  and to realize that these kids need support now, not necessarily to be pawns in a debate.”

Alan Grover: “Maine education commissioner Duke Albany? says he and the National Guard are discussing the allegations and he will issue an advisory to the state’s educators if that’s warranted.  For now, though, Albany says that such allegations seem very out of character for Maine’s dedicated teaching force and that no parents have made any such complaints to the education department.  Alan Grover, WABI TV 5 news.”

[end transcript]