Response from our "Uneducated" Troops

When my husband first considered looking into a military career he naturally leaned toward the Air Force as its roots run deep in his family. They told him it would be at least a year before they would consider him for the program as most candidates had a 3.5 + GPA and he only has a 3.0. The Marine Corps is the same way, as I am sure all the branches do. To be considered for hte USMC officer program, Aaron must to put together a packet that includes awesome references (preferably community and academic leaders), a strong physical fitness score, high ASVAB scores (he is in the 95th percentile), and must prove his ability to think critically, ethically, and as a leader. If all goes well, he will have a chance to become an office in the USMC. The military takes only the best and brightest.

It's sad that our leaders see the military as a last resort for those who will never succeed. When my husband first considered joining, many asked him why. He has a degree. One man I didn't even know asked, "Why did he do that, does he want to get killed in Iraq?" The pride runs deep...

But, I am not going to go on with the negative. Check out these letters sent to Michelle Malkin:

Michelle,

I'm a reserve Army officer, currently employed as a professor overseas.
The DoD contracts with several universities to offer undergraduate and
graduate degrees to servicemembers, either online or face-to-face, in
darn near every corner of the planet. Many enlisted soldiers have
graduate degrees; many more have bachelor's degrees, and the rest are
working on them.

Teaching soldiers is immensely rewarding, because they work their butts
off. They have full-time duties, and usually families and children too;
some even attend classes while deployed. To survive my chemistry
courses, students spend three hours in lecture, two nights a week, and
their Friday nights or Saturdays in the lab, week after week. Getting a
bachelor's or master's degree this way is not easy, but they do it
anyway. To better themselves, to get promoted, to prepare for civilian
careers -- to, y'know, "be smart."

The fact of the matter is, the US military is the most educated in the
history of mankind. Once again, Kerry's remarks display his revolting
elitism, and shocking ignorance. Military students are /educated/, not
indoctrinated, and do not have daddy footing the bill -- and this is
precisely what makes their degrees worth more than Kerry's.

Sara Townsley
Assistant Professor
UMUC-Europe

***

Michelle,

I can't tell you how much this kind of thing ticks me off. So I just relate my daughter's story, because I know she wouldn't.

My daughter was in college a couple years ago. She was on the dean's list and doing very well when the call came for duty in Iraq. She went and did her year as any good soldier would. She returned to school where she is majoring in work with autism. And that's not just a goal, she already works in homes with the kids and families who suffer from this disease. She could be anything she wants to be, but chooses to be a soldier as well. And as soon as she was able, she also reinlisted for another six years. She's not in the Army because she can't do anything else, she's in the Army to defend the great freedoms we enjoy. She is the cream of this generation, as I believe all our military members are! To the Kerrys and others losers of this world, start giving credit where it's due.

Rich Dahlen
Proud Vietnam Vet
New Era, MI

***

Dear Michelle, I am a longtime reader, and I have to admit that the Kerry "education speech" is the first story that bothered me enough to write in. I am a 24 year old mechanical engineering student at the University of Central Florida. I have a number of friends who are either currently in the armed forces or who used the GI bill to pay their way through school. I find Kerry's comments very troubling, because I have seen first hand that the GI Bill is one of if not the best way for any american to finance college. I have two friends in particular who graduated as aerospace engineers (earth to kerry, ROCKET SCIENTISTS) in large part to the aid earned by serving their country. They hung their Diplomas up over the summer, without a drop of debt, and both work on the space coast (one is currently getting security clearence to start as a life-support engineer for the space shuttle). It's not just the GI bill that has helped my friends though. The military experience certainly pays dividends durring a job hunt, and the specialty training offered has helped a longtime friend become a computer programmer for the air force, another a master electrician and thanks to the ROTC program I have a friend who has started his career as a fire control officer for advanced GPS guided rockets in Afghanistan. I am proud of my friends, their service and the voluntary army that serves this country. I think that the army is an incredible opportunity; offering a fast track to paying for college, gaining citizenship and training that applies to more than just active duty. Kerry should be ashamed. -Matthew Teague

***

“You know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, uh, you, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”