Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Your GED leaves you SOL if you wanna defend your country...WTF?



...I'm blogging in class tonight. I probably shouldn't be but suddenly I have the necessity to write about something I learned earlier this session...

...The United States is at war. HUGE Duh right? Military leaders have, for years, been crying about needing more Americans to join the differing branches and how we're suffering for volunteers; in addition, we've heard about standards being lax and enlistment bonuses increasing in order to entice younger Americans and excellent re-enlistment bonuses to existing service members to stay in. As a military dependent, wife and vet, I know this very well. 

...So imagine my surprise when today I found out that the military is capping their acceptance of GED recipients unless they have 15 college credits to go with it...

...WTF?...

...In a time and society where volunteers are needed in a war that is rivaling Vietnam in length and ridiculousness, our government is stating, oh, if you have a GED you are still inferior to those who obtain a high school diploma. We only want high school diploma holders and up to have the opportunity to go and defend our country and better themselves and their families...

...Last time I checked, nothing in any high school curriculum in America taught a person how to shoot. That's all you need to know if you're going to war. How to defend yourself and your country. Can you shoot the enemy before they shoot you?...

...Our armed forces is already overburdened and overstressed. My husband has been to the middle east THREE times. He is 26 and approaching his third reenlistment. He didn't intend to make the military his career but it has become so by default. He had dreams that, due to the war and circumstances, have been deferred. Possibly permanently. Yes, he received a high school diploma, but I can tell you that if, in combat, he had to choose between a Doctorate recipient and couldn't be dependable versus a GED recipient who was loyal and fought to the death, I'm sure he'd go with candidate number 2. 

...Judging a person who has a GED, who can go to college with it but not go fight, is totally ridiculous. Who knows why they couldn't earn a diploma, but who are we to degrade the effort to at least earn a GED? To try and be better for themselves and families? I have a few friends who went back to earn their GED and were so proud of their efforts because they actually made an accomplishment. Leave it to the government to skeet on their accomplishment with an elitist BS opinion...all it's doing is hurting our service members and their families and leaving us open and vulnerable in an ongoing and increasingly dangerous world...

...America, get your shit together...again...

Peace,
Jaz