Army Safety Caleb Campbell - NFL Bound?

[RTK]

He should be going to Fort Bliss or Fort Sill for ADA Basic Course, but will he even do that if he is coaching?

If he doesn't graduate BOLC III, he will never see 1LT. He's going to have to go to either Sill or Benning first for BOLC II. Knowing that BOLC II is backlogged until around January, I would imagine he won't go until the season is over (for West Point that should be right after the Army-Navy game).

[Schmedlap]

Regarding the belief that Campbell would be a good PR move for the Army if he played in the NFL, I think that is bizarro thinking. The bedrock of being a Soldier is adherence to the Army Values. Duty and Selfless Service really jump out in this case. They are about fulfilling obligations and putting the welfare of the country and the Army before your own. If Campbell's move to the NFL had any PR effect (and we can now only speculate, since it is not happening), it would have been negative. It would have only appealed to individuals who have no desire to be Soldiers, but rather individuals desiring to use the Army as a catapult for their non-service aspirations.

I also sympathize with the view that Campbell is immature and probably not ready for the attention that his situation received. The Army is more to blame for this than a newly minted 2LT. Young leaders look for professional guidance to their superiors and the institution. The Army provided a unique, but legitimate avenue for this guy to pursue an NFL career, making it very easy for the 2LT to rationalize the decision and even embrace it as a legitimate career move. The Army failed Campbell by leading him to believe that this was acceptable.

Had it been clear to Campbell that he was going to serve 5 years active duty as a US Army Officer, no exceptions considered, then I think that he would have accepted this. Just imagine if he had that mindset as he neared the end of his education at West Point, then served 5 honorable years in whatever capacity with no expectation of special treatment, then made a decision of whether to separate or stay in, opting to pursue an NFL career. Now THAT would be good PR for the Army. Instead, we now have a young 2LT who made headlines because he was going to get special treatment due to a poorly thought out policy and misguided expectations, got his hopes up, then had his hopes dashed following a policy change foisted upon the Army, and grudgingly followed according to the letter of the policy, while defying the spirit of it. This creates the impression that the Army is willing to give unequal treatment, renege on its obligations, and defy the values that it is expected to embrace, and when corrected by DoD, it will behave like a small child who, when told to go to his room, does so, but stamps his feet all the way there, slams the door, and shouts, "I hate living here!"

This incident should be a case study in the schoolhouses.

[jkm_101_fso]

I also sympathize with the view that Campbell is immature and probably not ready for the attention that his situation received. The Army is more to blame for this than a newly minted 2LT. Young leaders look for professional guidance to their superiors and the institution. The Army provided a unique, but legitimate avenue for this guy to pursue an NFL career, making it very easy for the 2LT to rationalize the decision and even embrace it as a legitimate career move. The Army failed Campbell by leading him to believe that this was acceptable.

Thank you.

[MikeF]

Former Army pro baseball player upset with decision on Campbell

Capt. Schulyer Williamson, only the second Army graduate to be selected in Major League Baseball's first-year player draft when he was chosen by the Detroit Tigers in 2005, is disappointed that he won't be able to see recent West Point graduate Caleb Campbell realize his dream of playing for the NFL's Detroit Lions this season. "It's a shame," Williamson, who participated in the Army's Alternative Service Program for one year before retiring from baseball to pursue his Army career, said. He has since served in Iraq. "In my eyes, Caleb can do more to help the Army by playing in the NFL than I did in my 15 months in Iraq." Campbell told the Associated Press he will be a graduate assistant football coach either at West Point or the service academy's preparatory school. After a year, he said, he will report to officer training.

-- Jill Lieber Steeg, USA Today

I have no opinion on Campbell's venture. I think Schmedlep got it right above with the maturity thing. "If" Campbell maintains a good attitude, is surrounding with charasmatic O's and wise NCOs, then he will be fine.

However, I thought Williamson's comment was interesting.

[Ken White]

"Instead, we now have a young 2LT who made headlines because he was going to get special treatment due to a poorly thought out policy and misguided expectations, got his hopes up, then had his hopes dashed following a policy change foisted upon the Army, and grudgingly followed according to the letter of the policy, while defying the spirit of it. This creates the impression that the Army is willing to give unequal treatment, renege on its obligations, and defy the values that it is expected to embrace, and when corrected by DoD, it will behave like a small child who, when told to go to his room, does so, but stamps his feet all the way there, slams the door, and shouts, "I hate living here!""

Well said, Schmedlap.

[Entropy]

Yeah, I agree, well said, Schmedlap.

[jmm99]

among females linked to males on this site. Asked my spouse of too many decades about the Campbell flap. She said she read the article in the sports pages. So, what do you think ? "He shouldn't have enlisted."

Asked about the other guy's comment about other ways to serve country other than bullets passing by. "He shouldn't have enlisted either."

Not a new attitude for her; but perhaps enhanced by the fact that one of her friends (in a Guard unit) just got back from her second OIF tour. No special treatment for meat-cutters.