Trump Waives Military Service For Football Academy Grads

[WingsOfGold]

Now THIS is total bullshit. Staubach did it right, he played AFTER his 4 years active duty was done up to and including a Vietnam tour.. Since then they have been chipping their way out of it. Let them BUY their way out of their sworn obligation if they like... at twice the actual government cost.

Trump OKs letting academy athletes play pro sports

The new policy will let promising athletes defer their five-year service commitment if they are drafted to play professional sports.

www.militarytimes.com

 

[Hijinx]

Defer--That doesn't mean they don't still have to fill out their commitment it only means they can wait 5 years to do it.

They are at their peak of athletic ability and if they can make some good money for their future what is wrong with them doing that and then serving out their time.

 

[transporter]

They are at their peak of athletic ability and if they can make some good money for their future what is wrong with them doing that and then serving out their time.

Jesus are you f***ing serious?

The cadets made a commitment to the country, the country is giving them a top dollar education in return for their service AND the expectation that they will become tomorrow's leaders.

The service academies aren't Alabama...we are paying them to play football. We are paying them to serve, protect and defend this country..not the f***ing goal line!

 

[Monello]

I have to wonder how much of a waiver the football players already get when compared to a regular cadet. I doubt they will get the functioning illiterate like the big football schools get on their rosters. As long as they don't scrape the bottom of the intelligence barrel, I guess it might attract a decent ball player.

I recall the navy bending over backwards to accommodate McCallum & Robinson so they could serve and play pro sports.

 

[Monello]

Jesus are you f***ing serious?

The cadets made a commitment to the country, the country is giving them a top dollar education in return for their service AND the expectation that they will become tomorrow's leaders.

The service academies aren't Alabama...we are paying them to play football. We are paying them to serve, protect and defend this country..not the f***ing goal line!

I'm glad the orange man has you running around freaking out like your hair is on fire.

 

[vraiblonde]

Jesus are you f***ing serious?

The cadets made a commitment to the country, the country is giving them a top dollar education in return for their service AND the expectation that they will become tomorrow's leaders.

The service academies aren't Alabama...we are paying them to play football. We are paying them to serve, protect and defend this country..not the f***ing goal line!

You are going to hurt yourself.

 

[WingsOfGold]

Defer--That doesn't mean they don't still have to fill out their commitment it only means they can wait 5 years to do it.

They are at their peak of athletic ability and if they can make some good money for their future what is wrong with them doing that and then serving out their time.

And if they get hurt and cannot pass a military physical?

 

[Grumpy]

I recall the navy bending over backwards to accommodate McCallum & Robinson so they could serve and play pro sports.

exactly

 

[BOP]

Jesus are you f***ing serious?

The cadets made a commitment to the country, the country is giving them a top dollar education in return for their service AND the expectation that they will become tomorrow's leaders.

The service academies aren't Alabama...we are paying them to play football. We are paying them to serve, protect and defend this country..not the f***ing goal line!

Do you even DD-214, bro?

 

[PeoplesElbow]

And if they get hurt and cannot pass a military physical?

What if they get hurt playing while at the service academy?

 

[WingsOfGold]

What if they get hurt playing while at the service academy?

Luck of the draw and since they're on active duty they will be retired medically for life like thousands and thousands of others have before them. They would also draw a pension with benefits, not bad for a kid that never deployed in all probability. Not sure but if I recall correctly they're paid as a E-5, not sure what it might be now.

 

[Yooper]

I get the anger (some legit, some - not surprisingly - based strictly on being "I hate Trump so whatever he does I'm against it"). However, it misses the point that the service academies DO recruit cadets/midshipmen TO PLAY FOOTBALL (just like Alabama, etc.) and have for some time.

There is intense pressure to field a competitive football team at all the service academies and some allowance had to be made to get players of a reasonable quality to keep doing so. However much I dislike this (and I do) this type of recruiting has been going on for some time (with the Air Force breaking the code long before either Army or Navy). In the past, releases from service commitment have occurred, but on a case-by-case basis. Or a player has served out his obligation, but it was on the post/base sports team or something along those lines (hardly what we hope for from an academy grad).

I haven't read the EO, but I wouldn't be surprised to read that there are stipulations as to who this applies to (e.g., the player would have to be taken in the NFL draft (not for the CFL), etc. as opposed to just saying he wants to try out) and there are probably some Reserve service agreement conditions (active, inactive, whatever).

All this EO does is "legitimize" a practice that has essentially gone on for quite some time. The days of Army-Navy playing 150-lb football and it meaning something are long gone. Fact of the matter is that Service Academy Football is very important; at a minimum, for recruiting purposes (and not just for academy recruiting).

Also, other exceptions are made. A number of cadets will go on to Rhodes scholarships (etc.) and while most serve afterwards (interestingly, the Rhodes scholarship education time counts as part of the service commitment!) some do get released to pursue non-military careers as a result.

Good return on investment? I'm not so sure, but those living in the academies bubble think so....

I am not an academy grad (rather, ROTC). I think service academies are a relic of a bygone era and should be either abolished (going strictly with ROTC and OCS) or modified in some fashion (perhaps to reflect what the Brits did/do with Sandhurst). So my opinion - re: this EO - doesn't come (for better or worse) from one who is an academy "homer."

--- End of line (MCP)

 

[WingsOfGold]

Yoop, just because it went on with a wink and a nod doesn't make it right. Point is WE the tax payer paid for that investment, let them pay it back PLUS and it would be fair. If not their swinging dicks belong to the fleet. Should we put them through Pensacola and let UAL recruit them? Give an inch, take a yard.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Yoop, just because it went on with a wink and a nod doesn't make it right. Point is WE the tax payer paid for that investment, let them pay it back PLUS and it would be fair. If not their swinging dicks belong to the fleet. Should we put them through Pensacola and let UAL recruit them? Give an inch, take a yard.

If you want to get into bean counting and investments, you may find that we the tax payers owe the football players money.

 

[Yooper]

Yoop, just because it went on with a wink and a nod doesn't make it right. Point is WE the tax payer paid for that investment, let them pay it back PLUS and it would be fair. If not their swinging dicks belong to the fleet. Should we put them through Pensacola and let UAL recruit them? Give an inch, take a yard.

I absolutely agree.

My point was not to wink/nod the back-end (possibly moving on to the NFL), only to state it goes on. As I noted, this is pretty much the consequence of a bad front-end (recruiting cadets/midshipmen to play a sport or whatever). So We The Peeps are paying for cadets/midshipmen who are accepting/attending but not for the reasons the academies were established. Hence, why I think service academies are a relic of the past.

I also don't support the shortening of the service agreement for academy grads that took place a few years back.... As in, you want the prestige and all the other benefits that come from a service academy, then you serve longer. So why are we cutting their obligation back to what ROTC grads have (and who get far less bennies)? But all these academy contract conditions are being modified because (as the argument goes) it would be unfair for 18-YO these days to make such a life choice at such an early age! Again, I disagree. Which is why...

I'm not a service academy fan.

And not because I didn't go to one (though that criticism has been leveled at me: supposedly I'm jealous).

--- End of line (MCP)

 

[Yooper]

If you want to get into bean counting and investments, you may find that we the tax payers owe the football players money.

That's the point I tried to make in my earlier post: many argue that academy football actually pays for itself (and more) via recruitment (to the academies specifically and in general).

I'm not sure I agree (meaning, I'd need to see a "spreadsheet"). But in the end, for me, it doesn't matter; as I noted, I think the academies have outlived their purpose. Haven't seen a compelling case that they're not, but willing to admit I could be wrong.

--- End of line (MCP)

 

[Gilligan]

I'm not a service academy fan.

My grandpappy was the Super at the USCG Academy....and they still excel at turning out good folks...

 

[Yooper]

My grandpappy was the Super at the USCG Academy....and they still excel at turning out good folks...

Good point. As best as I know, the USCGA (perhaps the USMMA in Kings Point, as well) is a bird of a much different color than West Point, Annapolis, or Colorado Springs. I can see a reason for keeping the USCGA. I should have made that distinction, but my focus was on the Big Three (so I forgot about the Coasties).

And congrats on the famous "ancestor"!

--- End of line (MCP)

 

[WingsOfGold]

I also don't support the shortening of the service agreement for academy grads that took place a few years back.... As in, you want the prestige and all the other benefits that come from a service academy, then you serve longer. But all these academy contract conditions are being modified because (as the argument goes) it would be unfair for 18-YO these days to make such a life choice at such an early age! Again, I disagree. Which is why...

17 year olds are obligating themselves to 6 years active duty every day, Nuke Program. Math guru's for the most part and they have far worse living conditions over academy pukes.
I don't feel sorry for them in the least. If they washed out (it may have changed) they sent them to the fleet as general assignment. I knew two of them (both maintained cars off base) and they were out... funny think is they made one of them a yeoman! A Yoyo in the Navy's job was to take care of officers service jackets! Paybacks can be some funny karma!

 

[Gilligan]

Good point. As best as I know, the USCGA (perhaps the USMMA in Kings Point, as well) is a bird of a much different color than West Point, Annapolis, or Colorado Springs. I can see a reason for keeping the USCGA. I should have made that distinction, but my focus was on the Big Three (so I forgot about the Coasties).

And congrats on the famous "ancestor"!

--- End of line (MCP)

Although his record states he was Assistant Super..he was Acting Super for the entire time he was there. https://www.history.uscg.mil/Browse...rticle/1863781/rear-admiral-james-a-alger-jr/

My father was his only son...and he died in Greenland. Helicopter crash...out of Thule..6 weeks after I was born.