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"Lions Draft Cadet, Save Him From Iraq"


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I'm surprised there was no comment on this today. Cadet Campbell was happy to sign an agreement to serve when he was accepted to Army (hint: we taxpayers cover that, right) but thanks to the Army's new policy he can play NFL football and fulfill his commitment by "recruiting" every Tuesday.

 

In other words, get a free ride on the taxpayers, sign a fat contract, and use the resultant fame to recruit starry-eyed youngsters to sign up and do what HE won't do, even though he agreed to do it. Seems perfectly fair to me. <_<

 

It's not like the war wasn't going on when he started college...

 

I wonder what Pat Tillman would think of this....

 

Of course, playing for the Lions won't be much of a picnic either, but I betcha more than half the soldiers in Iraq would, if given the chance, rather be doing that than what they're doing.

 

(By the way, the words in quotation marks comprise the exact headline in the paper, for those untutored masses who read the topic title and simultaneously wet their pants AND started foaming at the mouth.)

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I'm sure most of us would rather be doing that than what we're doing. He's not breaking any rules, it's the Army that changed the rules to allow it. If you don't like it, blame the Army, not the player. He said he heard from many fellow soldiers who thought it was great that he got the opportunity. The Bills just signed a FA fullback from Army that will have the same opportunity.

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I'm sure most of us would rather be doing that than what we're doing. He's not breaking any rules, it's the Army that changed the rules to allow it. If you don't like it, blame the Army, not the player. He said he heard from many fellow soldiers who thought it was great that he got the opportunity. The Bills just signed a FA fullback from Army that will have the same opportunity.

 

 

I thought she was blaming the Army.

 

 

And that's a seriously obnoxious headline.

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He's not breaking any rules, it's the Army that changed the rules to allow it. If you don't like it, blame the Army, not the player.

 

Probably from the standpoint that the football team provides free publicity to the branch and encourages recruitment. There's also the argument that this is only going to apply to the rare player to temporarily excuse him from full-time service to an alternate role. And when he's done with his playing career, which is an NFL average of ~ 2.3 seasons, guess where he's going to go back to work for 20 years? This is far from desertion.

 

God sends us all on different paths, people.

 

What Pat Tillman would think? Probably that each man has to make his own decisions, given the givens.

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Probably from the standpoint that the football team provides free publicity to the branch and encourages recruitment. There's also the argument that this is only going to apply to the rare player to temporarily excuse him from full-time service to an alternate role. And when he's done with his playing career, which is an NFL average of ~ 2.3 seasons, guess where he's going to go back to work for 20 years? This is far from desertion.

 

God sends us all on different paths, people.

 

What Pat Tillman would think? Probably that each man has to make his own decisions, given the givens.

 

That was a little too lucid. You sure you belong here?

 

Seriously though, in terms of value to the U.S. Army, I'm sure having one less cadidiot coming out of West Point is an easy trade when you consider his potential as a PR/recruiting tool.

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I'm surprised there was no comment on this today. Cadet Campbell was happy to sign an agreement to serve when he was accepted to Army (hint: we taxpayers cover that, right) but thanks to the Army's new policy he can play NFL football and fulfill his commitment by "recruiting" every Tuesday.

 

In other words, get a free ride on the taxpayers, sign a fat contract, and use the resultant fame to recruit starry-eyed youngsters to sign up and do what HE won't do, even though he agreed to do it. Seems perfectly fair to me. :D

 

It's not like the war wasn't going on when he started college...

 

I wonder what Pat Tillman would think of this....

 

Of course, playing for the Lions won't be much of a picnic either, but I betcha more than half the soldiers in Iraq would, if given the chance, rather be doing that than what they're doing.

 

(By the way, the words in quotation marks comprise the exact headline in the paper, for those untutored masses who read the topic title and simultaneously wet their pants AND started foaming at the mouth.)

Forget Pat Tillman, what about the State Department diplomats that are being forced to go live in that rat hole Fort Green Zone, or the Stop Loss G.I.s whose enlistments have ended. And what about the moron that will have to go in this guys place? This is wrong. A guy is good at playing a game so he can skip out of his committment?

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Forget Pat Tillman, what about the State Department diplomats that are being forced to go live in that rat hole Fort Green Zone, or the Stop Loss G.I.s whose enlistments have ended. And what about the moron that will have to go in this guys place? This is wrong. A guy is good at playing a game so he can skip out of his committment?

 

That just goes to show you have no understanding of the topic at hand.

 

He isn't skipping out- the Army changed the conditions of his commitment.

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Forget Pat Tillman, what about the State Department diplomats that are being forced to go live in that rat hole Fort Green Zone, or the Stop Loss G.I.s whose enlistments have ended. And what about the moron that will have to go in this guys place? This is wrong. A guy is good at playing a game so he can skip out of his committment?

 

I wouldn't include diplomats, because unlike the military they do have a choice and can quit, so they aren't being forced, it's part of their job description. And the rule wasn't changed until after he was at West Point, so he didn't go in knowing he'd have this option. So again, I don't blame anyone for taking the better option, I blame the civilian leadership for putting our military in the situation they're in with stop-loss.

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So he can play a game

 

So?

 

When you sign up for the military, you sign up to be used by your particular branch of service however said branch may choose. If the Army feels they get more value out of someone because of their recruiting potential, so be it.

 

When I was stationed in Korea, in a frontline infantry unit's recon platoon, I was recruited for the US Army Soldier show as a guitar player. I toured the country partly to entertain the soldiers, but also to help spread goodwill among the locals.

 

The Army felt I was better serving their needs that way, and it was their decision. Same in this case.

 

Now go start some anti-Bush thread, or get a better understanding of the reality of the situation.

 

Better yet, STFU... :D

 

edit: Also, since you are so quick to comment on how the Army should operate, perhaps you could enlighten us as to your military experience?

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You libs act like stop loss is something new started by the evil republicans. there has been stop-loss in all modern wars. The novel Catch-22 has a good example of this. The army kept upping the # of missions needed to be flown to qualify to go stateside.

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You libs act like stop loss is something new started by the evil republicans. there has been stop-loss in all modern wars. The novel Catch-22 has a good example of this. The army kept upping the # of missions needed to be flown to qualify to go stateside.

 

Dude, it's all Bush's fault...

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You libs act like stop loss is something new started by the evil republicans. there has been stop-loss in all modern wars. The novel Catch-22 has a good example of this. The army kept upping the # of missions needed to be flown to qualify to go stateside.

Unless they played football, then they didn't hve to fly anymore :D

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