Army Safety Caleb Campbell - NFL Bound?

[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.

[MikeF]

I think Jmm99 and the wives just ended this thread.

I'd submit that we step once again into the breach of Iraq, Afghanistan, and thereafter.

In the end, in this volunteer Army, the soldiers' actions will bear the truth of our nation's ascent or decline. Emphasis on volunteer. In this age of the volunteer, the notion of citizen is diminished.

20% percent of my boys had an advanced degree. 40% of my boys took a significant pay cut to enlist (I'd call my privates the post-9/11 boys). The expoloits of Campbell and others are irrevelent in the Long War.

Rereading my own post, I'm turning on my Ipod and placing a yellow flaq on my car.

Maybe I need to reevaluate and volunteer for a MTT.

Facta Non Verba

Mike.

[Ken White]

Angels. Angels on the head of a pin. How many? There are more important things to be sure but...

[MikeF]

Ken,

My entire retort/prose/response was based off the tenant of volunteer...Inuitive to the regard that if would (our angels) suffice our current need in forces.

As we (actually both) agree, if we are wrong, then there must be some other sacrifice of the 330 million of the USA.

-Just a young boy spilling words...

Mike

[Umar Al-Mokhtār]

When my daughter (Specialist, MP, deploying to IZ soon) heard this her reaction was typical: "That's f****n b******t" and I belive she questioned the LT's manhood (the unfortunate byproduct of growing up with a lot of young Marines around).

Which makes me consider a change the wording of bumper sticker I was planning to get later this year to:

Don't worry LT Campbell...
my daughter's in Iraq so you don't have to go.

[Uboat509]

Interesting article. According to this, it wasn't even his idea to take this exemption. He was going to transfer to another school before he incured the service requirement but the coach at WP convinced him to stay and seek the exemption.

SFC W

[Uboat509]

Personally, I couldn't possibly care less if West Point has a great football team, or even a football team at all. I also don't care about this kids dream to play in the NFL, I have a dream about dating Holly Hunter but that isn't going to happen either. On the other hand I would like to see some sort of cost benefit analysis on this whole thing. Duty, Honor and Country mean an awful lot to those of us who post here but it means exactly squat to a lot of kids out there today. If this guy playing in the NFL will convince (perhaps influence might be a better term) more kids to join up then maybe that is more important than having another 2LT in the ADA (actually I believe that virtually ANYTHING is more important than having more 2LTs in the ADA but that is a personal bias born of bitter experience so I shall refrain from commenting further). I honestly don't know if he would have that much influence on recruitment but I suspect that it is worth at least a look.

SFC W

[Tom Odom]

Holly Hunter? It could happen....

[Ken White]

Ken,

My entire retort/prose/response was based off the tenant of volunteer...Inuitive to the regard that if would (our angels) suffice our current need in forces.

serious stuff but an aside into the arcane like LT Campobell is okay on occasion, I think. I was in essence saying you were correct, no more. Just did it with tongue in cheek (which may be why my wife tells me to avoid trying to be a comedian... ).

As we (actually both) agree, if we are wrong, then there must be some other sacrifice of the 330 million of the USA.

Not the American way. Even in WW II, we at home did not sacrifice much, since then we have not suffered at all .

My personal belief is that's okay even if it is at times annoying. Those of us who wear or wore war suits mostly did it voluntarily, all voluntarily in the last 36 or so years, we pay a price to allow that to happen and we all have the option to pay it or quit. I did it for a long time and have no regrets. Everyone has to make their own mind up on the pros and cons...

-Just a young boy spilling words...

Mike

Old men have more words. They may make less sense but, by god, we got more!

Keep up the fire.

[RYNO]

This officer served as a graduate assistant wrestling coach for his first assignment after commissioning. These assignments are normally about 6-9 months and in my case I was starting AOBC on 2 JAN after a 30 MAY commissioning. I did it mostly because I wanted to start my life (paying bills, living on my own-not in barracks, new freedom) in a familiar place close to my hometown, not because of any serious professional thinking...it had the benefit (unknown to me at the time), I believe, of making me a much better teacher, coach, mentor as an officer in general, as a leader of troops, as an SGI to new captains, and in my current position, as a trainer of new Armor LTs.

It is routine for West Point to take a very small number of its more successful athletes, usually one per program, and ask them to stay for 6-9 months as a 2LT to be a Grad assistant. Some of the duties they are given (see how they apply to working in the force): recruiting (retention), planning and executing strength and conditioning workouts (PT), practices (training), breaking down film (AARs), mentoring freshmen (mentoring young Soldiers/Officers).

A majority of the people I know who served as GAs had some potential for a "professional" (term used loosely) sports career, whether it was football, baseball, whatever, or to continue representing the Army in the World Class Athlete Program or All-Army Teams. USMA will assign these types of folks both for the institution and the individual. I only know of three that continued trying to pursue that course, all the rest entered their branch.

Given 2LT Campbell's situation--I was behind it if the Army did it right: assigning a mentor/trigger puller to him from the Army's PAO and another from Recruiting Command to fully develop/utilize his potential as a recruiter. It didn't seem like we were going to do it right, so I am with the policy change. As for the core values at USMA or athletics at the institution, I think we beat those up enough...