Should Cadet's NFL Status Keep Him Out of Iraq? - Tom Weir and Reid Cherner, USA Today.
.... But [Caleb] Campbell also belongs to another fraternity -- at the U.S. military academy. His selection in the seventh round Sunday made him the first cadet taken in the NFL draft since Green Bay chose quarterback Ronnie McAda in 1997.
Ignoring players from the Army, Navy or Air Force academies is understandable, considering their commitment to serve in the military after completing college. But Campbell could break ground. He could become the first football player to take full advantage of a new rule that allows athletes with pro potential to fulfill their military commitment as an Army recruiter and with time in the reserves...
An Officer and a Linebacker for the NFL by Judy Battista, New York Times.
... The Army's hope is that talented people, like elite athletes or musicians, can help promote the service and boost recruiting. But the Army has also found itself defending the policy, which drew little attention before Sunday. Before this year, five former West Point athletes were accepted into the program. In the next few days, Campbell will join two Army teammates who signed free-agent contracts at N.F.L. minicamps. They are beneficiaries of a policy that allows them to start their playing careers sooner than they would had they played for Air Force or for Navy.
If he makes the Lions' roster, Campbell will most likely spend his off days and the off-season recruiting for the Army in the Detroit area. But his real job, he said, will be playing football. And that is enough to satisfy the Army...
Comments
I agree with Ray Kimball's implied point that we should leave the personal attacks against Cadet Caleb Campbell and his motives in this case alone.
I suggest that the more important issue to be discussed is whether or not allowing a few selected athletes at West Point to play professional sports is right for the Academy.
I came across this short clip that was on ABC News a few nights ago (many have probably already watched it) about LTC Gadson (west point graduate, former army football player, former combat battalion commander, seriously wounded in Iraq last year) and his association with the New York Giants football team. I was moved by it and am proud to be associated with an institution like the United States Military Academy at West Point that produced an officer like Gadson whose first duty was to serve.
Here is the link:
"A Purple Heart and a Super-bowl Ring" http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4760850
God bless LTC Gadson and the NY Giants.
gentile
Cadet Cambell is running out on a committment that he made of his own free will. Additionally, the American taxpayers, that is me, paid for his education, an education that would cost $40K per year just for tuiton and books. Additionally, we paid for his room and board and uniforms. Additionally we paid him a salary, not much of one, but a salary never the less. Assuming that he will get some amount of a signing bonus with the Lions, I would say that the first $500K of it ought to go to the US Treasury to reimburse us for his free education. Then it would be appropriate for him to donate about $100K to the Fisher House and/or Soldier's Angels, etc.
No matter how many recruits Campbell eventually signs up, he has shown that Duty and Honor are mere words to him. Words that can be discarded when they become inconvenient. What would Navy SEAL Lt. Murphy think about this. What about the ex-Midshipman offensive lineman that was killed in Fallujah leading his squad of Marines. Please excuse my forgetting his name. Has anyone sought out Roger Staubach or David Robinson to see what they think about this. They were held to their committments before they could become wealthy and famous playing professional sports. I have exactly zero respect for Cadet Campbell, and believe that he should be washed out for an Honors violation - he doesn't have any honor.
Says Jimbo:
"<i>I know there are serious implications to service commitments, but I can't see any harm in letting the kid play ball. Recruiting is a huge task and if he convinces a couple of kids that the Army is a good thing, well that's probably a good thing."</i>
We can disagree on whether a couple of kids is adequate pay back for my tax bucks. That without even addressing the fact that no one forced him to go to Hudson high, he elected to do it and said, in return he'd do something. He isn't doing what the said he'd do.
The fact that what he's doing is 'legal' because of an idiotic Army policy doesn't compensate any more than did Kerry's behavior in the SEA Olympics reach the point of ethical because his skate out was also 'legal.'
101st Will is right -- Campbell's a jerk IF he follows through on the NFL bid.
Ya know ... at first I thought what a jerk. Make him serve his time like every other graduating cadet.
After reading Uncle Jimbo's post I changed my mind. He's right, it's one LT. With the type of me, me, me attitude that makes me not want him in my unit anyway.
And I still think he's a jerk. Shouldn't have applied to West Point if he thought he might make the NFL.
Lighten up people, we are talking about one LT here. He was wearing ADA insignia it looked like, so some Patriot crew is going to be missing it's knucklehead Platoon leader? Hardly the end of the world.
My buddy Kev and I watched the draft and they were pimping this guy hard. Kev asked, what if no one drafts him and he heads to Iraq and gets blown up, how would the 32 owners be feeling then?
I know there are serious implications to service commitments, but I can't see any harm in letting the kid play ball. Recruiting is a huge task and if he convinces a couple of kids that the Army is a good thing, well that's probably a good thing.
Cordially,
Uncle J
The irony is that the only way he becomes a valuable recruiting tool is if he does the honorable thing and chooses not to play in the NFL.
I honestly don't see what the possible recruiting benefits are unless we need to attract candidates for our military academies. The DOD position on this just baffles me.
The US Armed services have been examples of meritocracy ahead of their time. This is a different message. This appears to reward something other than excellent service within the Army (assuming that being released from duty is a reward). Being good (and not even great, just good enough) at a professional sport excuses you from an obligation you chose to take on. What is this supposed to tell the other cadets? Or those who are depending on the G.I. Bill to earn a higher education after serving?
As a side note...Does anyone know how the issuing of the DOD memo coincides with the controversy over Pat Tillman's death? It almost seems like an effort to avoid a negative headline that instead sends a much worse message.
People generally do not mean it literally when they say this, but I do in this case. This story made me nauseous. Maybe I've had too much coffee and not enough food. Or maybe this story really is nausea-worthy.
I glean from the articles that this is the rationale for the policy: "Any member of the Army with an exceptional skill who could provide recruiting and public affairs benefits to the Army could be assigned to the nearest recruiting unit for their two-year active-duty period."
Whoever made the determination that the recruiting value is significant is smoking crack. Who is going to be drawn to the Army by this guy? Other people who seek to shirk their duty by donning a football jersey? I know guys who lost limbs in Iraq and Afghanistan and they wish that they could deploy again with their buddies. They are the guys who should be getting paid to recruit - not this guy.
And how does a cadet on the cusp of commissioning desire an NFL career over an Army career? Why go to West Point? Going to West Point assumes an obligation to the Army. How can this guy, in a time of war, having gone to West Point, not want to serve his country in Iraq or Afghanistan? He doesn't want to be a platoon leader? Or at least not as much as he wants to play in the NFL? WTF???? This blows me away.
"Campbell will most likely spend his off days and the off-season recruiting for the Army in the Detroit area. But his real job, he said, will be playing football."
Off days. After practice, travel, and endorsements, etc. etc. that is. "Real job". Holy Christ. Your "real job" is POGUE.
The entirety of the American population is exempt from military service unless they ask for it. Nice to know that soldiers, and an officer no less, are now exempt from service unless they ask for it too... CPL Tillman is rolling in his grave.
The benefits of a PR boost for Army recruiting pale in comparison to the message this is sending. Instead of serving proudly in a time of war, Mr. Campbell will be tossing a ball around to distract an increasingly apathetic American population from the issues our nation faces. What an embarrassment.