Don't go wrong by betting on U.S. GIs
In his book "Making the Corps," former Wall Street Journal correspondent Thomas E. Ricks describes a night patrol he went on in Somalia led by a young Marine.
"As we walked in single file, with red and green tracer fire arcing across the black sky over the city, I realized that I had placed my life in the hands of the young corporal leading the patrol, a 22-year-old Marine.
"In my office back in Washington, we wouldn't let a 22-year-old run the copying machine without adult supervision. Here, after just two days on the ground in Africa, the corporal was leading his squad into unknown territory with a confidence that was contagious."
Ricks' account is not the least bit surprising to those of us who have served in the U.S. military. What is surprising is that employers are not taking advantage of either the maturity or skills offered by these outstanding young men and women.
A report by the Department of Labor's Veterans Employment and Training Service finds that 113 percent of veterans ages 20 to 24 were unemployed in 2007, compared to only 8.1 percent of non-veterans in the same age group.
Business leaders shouldn't just hire veterans simply out of gratitude. They should hire veterans because it is smart business. Most young veterans are highly disciplined, in good physical condition and have been stress-tested in ways that would dwarf most workplace challenges. They served their country out of a sense of patriotism and duty -- the same loyalty they can bring to civilian employers.
The war on terrorism is long, bloody and global. We don't need a program -- we need a transformation.
When The American Legion wrote the first draft of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, it changed the course of American history. A generation of heroes was able to join the middle class, achieve home ownership, earn higher education and live the American dream.
More famously known as the GI Bill, it was hailed by many as the greatest legislation ever. Sadly, the GI Bill's benefits have been so drastically reduced that few veterans can attend school without also holding a job, and many colleges are out of reach.
Washington needs to make an investment in the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act, which is, in essence, a 21st Century GI Bill.
Under the bill, service members returning from Iraq or Afghanistan could earn up to 36 months of benefits, equivalent to four academic years. Benefits would cover charges for established programs, including the cost of the most expensive in-state public schools, monthly stipends equivalent to housing costs in their area, and a stipend for books. Incentives would reduce the cost to attend private schools. The bill also provides equity among active-duty, National Guard and Reserve members.
Like its World War II predecessor, this GI Bill would not be cheap. The best investments rarely are. But history has proven one can never go wrong by betting on America's GIs.
Marty Conatser
National Commander
American Legion
Indianapolis