News

June 3, 2009

Generals: Youths unfit for military

Retired military leaders, Pa. lawmakers to discuss claim that 75 percent of people 17-24 unqualified for service.

By Bill O'Boyle boboyle@timesleader.com
Staff Writer
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The future strength of America’s military may rest with our pre-school children.

And unless things change, that worries a group of senior retired military officers who foresee a generation that is incapable of defending the nation.

According to recent testimony from Pentagon officials, 75 percent of young people ages 17 to 24 are unable to enlist because they lack a high school diploma, have a criminal background or are physically unfit. Changing that statistic is the focus of a press conference today in Harrisburg.

Retired military leaders and state legislators from across Pennsylvania will gather at the State Capitol to discuss what they call a serious threat to national security.

They will stress the need for continued investment in the 2009-10 state budget for early childhood education to ensure that the U.S. military and National Guard have a qualified pool of recruits in the future.

The group will release a new report called, “Ready, Willing, and Unable to Serve” showing that children who benefit from high-quality early education are significantly more likely to finish high school, stay away from crime and enter the workforce with many options, including a career in the military.

The retired generals are members of a new organization called Mission: Readiness, which supports policies to help young people get a good start in life so they are prepared for the workforce and for military service, if they choose that path. Today’s is the first public event held by the organization, which includes 66 retired U.S. generals and admirals.

Retired Maj. Gen. Joseph Perugino of Kingston is one of six Pennsylvanians who are members of the Mission: Readiness team. He said he is excited to be a part of the effort.

“I think it’s very important,” Perugino said. “Pennsylvania has always led the way in funding for pre-kindergarten education. We need educated, responsible and physically fit people to form the backbone of this country’s fighting mechanism. We need soldiers who are fit and disciplined who understand the military’s complicated plans and complex equipment.”

Perugino said today’s objective is to talk to some of the state’s elected leaders to ask for their support for funding early education programs. Even many high school graduates can’t pass the military’s entrance exam, he said.

“Coupled with that is the other issue of physical conditioning,” he said. “Many youngsters can’t pass physical training; there are serious issues of obesity and other physical impairments.”

State Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township, will attend today’s press conference to hear what the generals have to say.

“I have tremendous respect for Gen. Dan O’Neill (Honesdale) and Gen. Joe Perugino and for their service to our country,” Baker said. “Well-educated students improve the capabilities of the armed services, just as they do for other professional pursuits and career paths. I welcome their insights.”

Steve Doster, Pennsylvania state director of Mission: Readiness, said the organization was formed last fall.

“We were formed out of necessity,” Doster said. “Our country’s military leaders are very concerned about that 75 percent figure. They want to look at the major reasons why young people can’t enter military service.”

Doster said research shows that one in five high school students in Pennsylvania fails to finish high school on time or drops out entirely.

The graduation rates are even worse in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, where nearly 40 percent and 50 percent of students are not graduating on time, respectively.

The retired generals said investments in early childhood education would increase the number of young Americans who graduate and qualify to serve. On the federal level, President Barack Obama has promised increased support to make early learning available to all children.

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