A soldier's lesson

It's amusing for me now to reflect on my time in service.

After my first 4 years in the military I was genuinely surprised just how exhausted I really was. Though I'd stay in a couple more I could barely believe how easily I adjusted to 80-100 hour work weeks and a steady distance from the ones I love the most.

There were bright moments. My time in Europe, my friends, and different commands, but it was the work that I remember most. Good work that fortifies you, tasks you, and firm's the integrity of your effort.

I take pride in my ship(s). If there were a fire, I was the lead hoseman. If there were an emergency, I was on team. If there were a combat situation I was engaged. It was not too long ago I remember Somali men firing their machine guns in my direction hoping to kill a nameless soldier. It was not too long ago I remember the cries and agony of fire and men intwined.

And I remember that in the great chain of men and woman in my command, my Navy, my American military, that we all pour our blood and souls into every day of service. We have to, just to wear the uniform. It's inherent the moment we first salute the flag to the moment taps plays in our racks.

I met my wife in service. An extremely hard working woman who, like me, invested in the American GI Bill. This fine program takes fine people around the world, in our military, and allows them to fulfill their life's purpose through college.

It's this program that gives the young people (and older) the opportunity to become tomorrow's doctors, teachers, and scientists. My wife is using hers to become a social worker for the elderly, I am now an electrician building the biggest trucks in the world for Liebherr. We've been very blessed, but the truth of the matter is many of my old friends and hundreds of thousands of soldiers I'll never meet are struggling to exist outside the military.

The jobs they served aren't transferring over to American jobs, the training they have isn't opening opportunities. And the GI bill is severely under funded.

Without a strong family and friend support system (Like my wife and I have) young men and woman of the military are finding their benefits useless without the benefits of shelter, food, and (!) gas.

So we have 2 new bills to consider.

On one hand we have McCain's supported bill that offers limited 3 year benefits to those who leave, and a slightly better 12 year benefit plan to those that stay 12 years. (Which, by default, is an almost guarantee of 20 year service)

Let me tell you something you won't hear on the news. Once in the military you have a lot of doors open to you. Credit sky rockets. New cars, homes, and loans come easy and before you know it you got a good debt to pay for.

And then comes family. Military love is world famous and for good reason, within a year or two in service, marriages are frequent and many, and families begin in earnest. The military has always known this time honored routine and has in fact counted on it. After all, a committed family man -in debt- is a committed soldier for life. (well at least 20 years)

So the McCain idea that 12 years (don't let them fool you with this "sliding scale" talk -it's 3 or 12 years no middle) is good enough service for an extra $500 a month of college money, is an intentional misdirection of the truth.

But is Obama's preferred plan (Webb-Hagel bill) too generous? What does it accomplish? What does it mean for military retention?

This original bill (the Republican plan is playing catch-up) gives every young soldier the opportunity to pay their perspective college(s) about $24,000 dollars a year, for 4 years, after only 3 years of service. The total price for Americans is about 4 months in Iraq and the pay off is hundreds of thousands of college educated troops.

It is generous!

But is it too generous?

The left's argument is there are already 75% of returning soldiers faced with an insignificant college fund
Military.com Features May 22 2008

This is the usual number and the results are the struggling troops today who thought they could go to school but find that the GI bill they paid into barely helps them through the first year.

I don't have to remind anyone how high military suicide rates, divorce rates, and depression rates are. The argument is we owe these young soldiers an American education for their American service. The argument is this the least we can do.

But the right wing has some valid concerns as well.

Young soldiers faced with the prospect of military service and significant college money will simply leave when their time is up. Go to school. And that's not good.

But is it accurate? It seems greater college benefits (Long the greatest incentive for enlistment) would actually increase enlistment across the country. Those in service may leave in greater numbers or they may make a fine career in the military.

Is hanging education over soldier's heads to only way to ensure they'll stay?

If that's the case then there are bigger problems the military needs to address to keep people employed. In fact this new GI bill may be the best thing to ever happen to the military, ensuring our troops's renumeration spreads across an entire career instead of at the end.

The bottom line is our troop's futures and the future of their families should not be manipulated to force military retention. There are better ways to ensure retention and the promise of education should always and forever be the prerogative and preserved right of anyone who gives of their life for the service of America and her armed forces.