<p>Have any of you read the article in this weekend's edition of the USA Today? He's a West Point grad playing under the Army's new alternative service program.</p>
<p>Just thought I'd see what your comments were.</p>
<p>Here's the link to the article you referenced:</p>
<p>This is the case of a 2003 WP graduate who has decided to pursue a baseball carreer under the terms of the alternative service program.</p>
<p>Since my son is not a recruited athlete, my perspective might be biased against the new alternative service program. Aside from the program being counter to USMA's main mission, it reeks of inequity in its application.</p>
<p>One argument in favor of the program is that, if after two years of active duty a WP graduate feels he/she would rather pursue a professional athletic carreer rather than stay on active duty, the graduate is probably going to leave the service after the 5 year service term anyway. However, that same logic could be applied to any graduate who, after two years, feels he/she would like to pursue an alternative career outside of the military.</p>
<p>Ultimately, I don't get too "hot and bothered" by the program since I believe it will have very few "takers". If professional sports is a high priority to a candidate considering USMA, I think he/she will, and should, pick an alternative school.</p>
<p>How different is this policy from a Rhodes/Marshall/Truman/etc., scholar? They defer their active duty while they earn an advanced degree at Oxford, etc. Their classmates have to wait until they are out of the Army or until their sixth year or more of active duty to go to grad school. Should USMA grads cease competing for these scholarships?</p>
<p>I asked our twin '05 grad sons about this and they have no trouble with the policy ... and know few current or former cadets who do. Of course, they were corps squad athletes, albeit in a sport where all but the top few pros make less than a 2LT.</p>
<p>Let's keep this in perspective. Athletes from all the academies in Olympic sports have been able to spend a large part of their active duty time training in their sport. The rationale has been two fold ... if they make the Olympics, World Championships, or Pan Am Games they will be representing their country and also will bring positive publicity to their service and academy. Remember the USMA grad running in the 10,000 meters and marathon at the last Olympics? Or the female Modern Pentathlete (in the Olympic Trials she rode her equestrian event in her Class A's over riding breeches)? For professional sports, the second rationale ... positive publicity ... still applies. Before now, the Army has had the most restrictive policy vis a vis the pros; now it may have the most liberal. And, of course, the absolute number of grads who might qualify is very small.</p>
<p>I have no problem with the philosophy behind the policy, but do take issue with the details. I'd like to see those who avail themselves of the program still be required to fulfill their five year active duty obligation after their pro career is finished ... like a Rhodes Scholar. While in the pros, they should be in the reserves and spend the off season in military training and appropriate public affairs duties.</p>
<p>Finally, let's remember that this program will be small potatoes ... far fewer USMA grads will ever avail themselves of this program than the number of USNA grad junior officers who are being let out of the Navy early (mostly men and women who don't complete flight school for some reason and are released because the Navy has no surface warfare or other positions for them).</p>
<p>"How different is this policy from a Rhodes/Marshall/Truman/etc., scholar? They defer their active duty while they earn an advanced degree at Oxford, etc. Their classmates have to wait until they are out of the Army or until their sixth year or more of active duty to go to grad school. "</p>
<p>This is not correct!</p>
<p>Rhodes scholar and other scholarships winners are not defered. My spouse spent his butter bar yrs at Harvard. AFIT waived the wear the uniform once a week requirement and there was a WP grad in the same class at the KSG. It also added 2 yrs to his service commitment. Several people that he taught with at AF also got their Masters by appling to AFIT or the academy to sponsor them for their Masters. Another applied for a Fulbright and was allowed to go Germany. All of these people increased there active duty service commitments. Some of these folks applied as 1 st LTs.</p>
<p>afa81 wrote, </p>
<p>"This is not correct!</p>
<p>"Rhodes scholar and other scholarships winners are not defered. My spouse spent his butter bar yrs at Harvard. AFIT waived the wear the uniform once a week requirement and there was a WP grad in the same class at the KSG. It also added 2 yrs to his service commitment. Several people that he taught with at AF also got their Masters by appling to AFIT or the academy to sponsor them for their Masters. Another applied for a Fulbright and was allowed to go Germany. All of these people increased there active duty service commitments. Some of these folks applied as 1 st LTs."</p>
<p>What's your point? Isn't it six-to-one; half-a-dozen-to-the-other? Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, Fulbright, Olmsted, etc., winners fulfill their full active duty obligation, and get paid while in school. I believe that someone who goes to graduate school on such a scholarship adds one year to their active duty obligation for each year they attend school. Anyone who goes to grad school on the Army adds two years of active duty for each year spent at school. WP grads don't even apply for an Olmsted until, I believe, three years after graduation. </p>
<p>As I wrote, I'd like to see anyone who receives a pro sports contract serve their full five-year active duty commitment after their playing days are over. I also think they should not be paid by the Army while they are playing their sport, though I think they should be in the reserves and paid accordingly out of season. These to me are details that I'd prefer to the current policy, but I don't disagree with the basic philosophy. </p>
<p>Incidentally, I believe Kyle Eckle (sp?), the Navy fullback who destroyed Army the last two years, is in camp with the NE Patriots. Also, haven't there been several AFA players in fairly recent years who played pro ball before serving a full five years of active duty? The Air Force Academy always received great publicity from these players, and it's safe to assume that the example of such grads playing pro ball helped Air Force football recruiting.</p>