"Because of the potential for abuse and the threat to the personal privacy rights of a generation of American youth, we request that the JAMRS (Joint Advertising and Market Research Studies) project be immediately ended," the groups wrote in their letter, a copy of which was obtained by AFP.

Faced with recruiting difficulties, the Pentagon tasked a private firm several months ago with creating a direct-marketing tool that would pinpoint people between the ages of 16 and 25 in a database, in order to better target potential recruits.

The database would include the name, address, telephone number, birthdate, Social Security number, ethnicity and level of education of more than 30 million Americans between the ages of 16 and 25.

The organizations that signed the letter, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Privacy Information Center, also charged that the program's measures go beyond traditional recruitment methods.

The program recommends that mothers' views on military service and polls of young adults also be taken into consideration.