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Service

Return to Common Sense

February 10, 2013

Section: Introduction – Service

“Everyone over 18 years old, without exemption or exception, should payback this country with a minimum service commitment as a responsibility of citizenship.”

“What a man does for others, not what they do for him, gives him immortality." Daniel Webster.

 

Philosophy (Background, Issues, Objectives):

Military service is an honorable career option.

• U.S. has an all volunteer military that meets its recruiting and reenlistment targets.

There are multiple civilian service organizations run by various parts of the federal government.

• Peace Corps, founded in 1961 and now part of the state Department, is ramping up to historic highs of 15,000 volunteers.
• The improved and enhanced AmeriCorps, created in 1992, is run by Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS):

o   More than 400,000 Americans have served in the corps since its founding, with 75,000 serving full or part time in 2005.

o   Current CNCS program costs exceed the service benefit received.

§  Primary benefit is perceived by the service participant vs. the service recipient.

o   AmeriCorps State and National (ASaN) provides grants to community service organizations across the country

o   AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), founded in 1964, provides services to low income individuals and communities.

o   AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) is a full time residential program deploying young people to aid in conservation and national disaster relief.

• Citizen Corps Councils have been created in 2002 to engage citizens in homeland security.

• The Senior Corps (2002) is adding 100,000 new participants, and removing barriers to service.
• Special Partnership Force (SPF) proposed to help in foreign nation building and disaster relief.
• A USA Freedom Corp Council was created in 2002 to oversee these new and improved service organizations.
• Government volunteerism programs have been used for propaganda and political purposes.

Although a professional public service is valuable, a Public Service Academy is not viable.

• The variety of expertise required is too wide for a single curriculum.
• Esprit de corps is not as important since graduates won’t be serving together.

 

Principles:

The price of citizenship for everyone is service.

• No exception or exemptions for any reason.
• Payback to country for freedom and opportunity.

 

Recommendations:

Every citizen over 18 years old must perform a minimum of three years of national service between the ages of 18 and 24.

• Every 18 year old citizen must sign up for national service, without exception or exemption.

o   Every 18 year old must report for duty and receive their assigned service selection.

o   Each service will meet their minimum staffing requirement, with priority to meeting military minimums first, since it remains an all volunteer service.

§  Each service alternative will define a minimum and maximum number of staff required.

§  Volunteers will identify top three service alternatives (military, AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, or Special Partnership Force (SPF), etc.).

§  Minimum enrollment for each alternative must be met, so some people may not receive their first choice.

• Civilian service alternatives must justify their eligibility by demonstrating positive benefits vs. costs. 

o   All national service recruits will attend common basic training (physical, moral, education).

o   Each service alternative must define their physical, intellectual, and skill requirements.

o   Advanced training will then be provided and service specific.

o   Recruits will be paid with salary, benefits, and education credits.

 

References:

“USA Freedom Corps” dated January 30, 2002 published by US Government.

“You Gotta Serve Somebody” by Gene Healy dated May 7, 2004 published by The Cato Institute at http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=2643&print=Y .

“The False Promises of a Draft” by Fred Kaplan dated June 23, 2004 published by Slate Magazine at http://www.slate.com/id/2102858/ .

“A modest ‘national service draft’ proposal” by Editor dated November 22, 2005 published by American Daily at http://americandaily.com/article/10323 .

“Mandatory Military Service Would Benefit the U.S.” by Armstrong Williams dated June 19, 2006 published at http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2006/6/18/162837.shtml .

“Why Elites are AWOL” by Patrick Poole dated July 17, 2006 published by Front Page Magazine at http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=23379 .

“The Rise of the Service Gap” by John Noonan dated July 28, 2006 published by National Review Online at http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=Y2VjMDY3ZDMyNmYxNmZlMTM1YzgzZjdmMzhiYTEyMzY= .

“Let’s Get Real It’s Time for a Draft” by Malcolm Hedges dated October 9, 2006 published by American Daily at http://americandaily.com/article/15967 .

“It’s Time for a National Military Draft” by Malcolm Hedges, dated December 11, 2006, published on American Daily at http://www.americandaily.com/article/16749 .

“Those Who Serve” by Michael Ledeen dated February 8, 2007 published by National Review Online at http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MWI5ZmZkOGQ4NTc5YWYzOTdlY2M2MjAzOGJmNzY5YjQ= .

“Big Majority Oppose Draft” dated February 25, 2007 published by News Max at http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2007/2/25/210127.shtml .

“The Pitfalls of Civil Service U” by Philip I. Levy dated March 30, 2007 published by National Review Online at http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NDBjN2M2Yjg1ZjA4Y2MxYjcwNWJjYzIxMDFlNTQ1YWM= .

“Rep. John Murtha Wants Lottery for ‘Citizens Army’” by Randy Hall dated April 3, 2007 published by News Max at http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2007/4/3/123706.shtml?s=ic .

“A Cure for the Heartache in America?” by Thomas D. Segel dated April 22, 2007 published by American Daily at http://www.americandaily.com/article/18499 .

“Turning Apathy into Good Deeds” by Melvin R. Laird dated May 28, 2007 published by Washington Post at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/27/AR2007052700931_pf.html .

“Governor Romney’s Global Initiative for Values and Freedom: A Strategy to Defeat Radical Jihad” by Cofer Black dated June 22, 2007 published by Town Hall at http://www.townhall.com/columnists/CoferBlack/2007/06/22/governor_romneys_global_initiative_for_values_and_freedom_a_strategy_to_defeat_radical_jihad .

“The Case for National Service” by Jonathan Alter dated June 22, 2007 published by MSNBC at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19371599/site/newsweek .

“CBO Weighs in on the All-Volunteer Force” by Tim Kane dated July 20, 2007 published by The Heritage Foundation at http://www.heritage.org/Research/NationalSecurity/wm1561.cfm .

“Peace Corps Adapting, Director Says” dated August 8, 2007 published by News Max at http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2007/8/8/92256.shtml?s=ic .

“Government Academies: Moving to the Left” by Paul Weyrich dated August 8, 2007 published by News Max at http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/8/8/144749.shtml .

“There is a difference between military men and women” by Kathryn Jean Lopez dated August 11, 2007 published by Town Hall at http://www.townhall.com/columnists/KathrynJeanLopez/2007/08/11/there_is_a_difference_between_military_men_and_women .

“The Un-American Call for National Service” by Alex Epstein dated September 21, 2007 published by American Daily at http://www.americandaily.com/article/20342 .

“Equal sacrifice in war is necessary” by Ken Allard dated October 3, 2007 published by San Antonio Express News at http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/stories/MYSA100407.02O.allard.213ff45.html .

“An Army of Janes” by Kathryn Jean Lopez dated October 11, 2007 published by National Review Online at http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YzQ5N2M3ZWM2Y2FlZjFkNWQxMDcyMGU1ZGM5MGM3NDU= .

“Democracy Is Not a Spectator Sport” by Emily Cochran dated November 12, 2007 published by National Review Online at http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NzU1NDZkYjkyZmI4NDM5YTA2OTYyN2I4MGU3MDIzOTM= .

“AmeriCorps Blowup” by Bethany Stotts dated February 26, 2008 published by Accuracy in Media at http://www.aim.org/aim-column/americorps-blowup/ .

“Barack Obama: The Community Organizer in Chief” by Lee Cary dated April 28, 2008 published by American Thinker at http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/04/barack_obama_the_community_org.html .

“Obama’s Civilian National Security Force” by Lee Cary dated July 20, 2008 published by American Thinker at http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/07/obamas_civilian_national_secur.html .

“College Daze” by Charles Murray dated August 21, 2008 published by American Enterprise Institute at http://www.aei.org/publications/pubID.28504,filter.all/pub_detail.asp .

“Time Embraces a Timeless Idea” by Andrew Ferguson dated September 22, 2008 published by The Weekly Standard at http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/015/554usojy.asp .

“To GIVE and To SERVE: The $6 Billion National Service Boondoggle” by Michelle Malkin dated March 25, 2009 published by Town Hall at http://townhall.com/columnists/MichelleMalkin/2009/03/25/to_give_and_to_serve_the_$6_billion_national_service_boondoggle .

“Step Up for Your Country” by Stanley McChrystal dated January 23, 2011 published by The Daily Beast at http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-01-23/stanley-mcchrystals-call-to-national-service/?cid=bs:archive8 .

“Rethinking National Service” by Kenneth Allard dated September 12, 2011 published by National Review Online at http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/276370/rethinking-national-service-col-kenneth-allard .