{"id":33223,"date":"2018-02-20T21:28:06","date_gmt":"2018-02-20T21:28:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/02\/20\/commentary-youth-deserve-the-ability-to-make-informed-decisions-about-their-future\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T02:35:51","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T02:35:51","slug":"commentary-youth-deserve-the-ability-to-make-informed-decisions-about-their-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/opinion\/2018\/02\/20\/commentary-youth-deserve-the-ability-to-make-informed-decisions-about-their-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Commentary: Youth deserve the ability to make informed decisions about their future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As a U.S. Army officer for more than 30 years, I can tell you our nation\u2019s military services are among the most respected organizations in the world, and the individuals who choose to serve<\/a> deserve the support of our nation\u2019s people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About 50 percent of young Americans today admit they know little<\/a> to nothing about our military. As a nation, we are failing them, and we are failing ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

College graduates are averaging around $30,000 in student loan debt. I wish they had known they could have graduated debt free while contributing to something bigger than themselves. Having a skilled and educated force truly is a priority<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Army alone spent $162 million on tuition assistance last year, so current Soldiers could earn degrees. The U.S. Army Reserve Officers\u2019 Training Corps offers approximately $300 million in scholarships each year for students at about 1,000 universities ranging from Harvard and Princeton to Berkley and Ohio State. The U.S. Army is the largest single provider of college scholarships in the nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the health care field, the Army offers full scholarships for accredited medical, dental, veterinary, nurse practitioner and optometry programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our nation is filled with underemployed workers who paid for degrees but can\u2019t get jobs because they don\u2019t have the necessary experience. I wish they had known they could choose from 150 different careers, gain technical experience and certifications, and get a degree in the U.S. Army.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I travel the country, I find most people I meet believe the U.S. Army is only about combat. It\u2019s true our role is to fight and win our nation\u2019s wars, but it takes a team to support our warfighters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wish our country knew our Soldiers are doctors, engineers, truck drivers, IT specialists, paralegals, logisticians and so much more. Almost every professional job in the private sector is also a job in the military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem I see everywhere I visit is this: They don\u2019t know. They don\u2019t know because we haven\u2019t told them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need the young people in our country to have the opportunity to make an informed decision about their future. I am not interested in forcing anyone to enlist; however, youth deserve to understand what military service entails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need our educators to welcome military recruiters into schools. Our service members represent our country and should not have to recruit in the shadows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need parents and community influencers to encourage students who are considering military service. We need our veterans to help educate communities about how serving has positively impacted their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\t