I don’t claim to understand my brothers, but being that we share a great deal of genetic material, I at least expect to find some shred of commonality in thought.
That expectation was blown to hell, yet again, when we were discussing the situation of Caleb Campbell, West Point graduate, and recent 7th round draft pick of the Detroit Lions who has been called to active duty.
In a nutshell: Campbell graduated West Point and, he claims, was promised by the Army that if he was picked up, he could play and serve his time as a recruiter. Now, the Army has apparently changed their minds on this deal and Campbell has to serve two years before he’ll be allowed to try for the NFL again.
My brothers, and apparently over 60% of people in a FOX Sports poll, think the Army is being “unfair”.
Excuse me? Unfair? Campbell has received an very expensive education (it is valued to be in the realm of $500,000) on behalf of the tax payers of this country and he signed a contract stating that in return for this education, he would serve 5 years in the Army. The US Military Academies are a priceless education for more reasons than just monetary. For there to be even a hint of Campbell whining or shirking his duty is pretty freakin’ reprehensible particularly since many of his West Point brethren can expect to be heading to either Afghanistan or Iraq in the near future.
And even if the Army changed their mind, so what? It’s their prerogative to do so. I don’t seem to recall Roger-effen-Staubach complaining about honoring his commitment to his country after attending the Naval Academy. He did his time (in Vietnam, I might add) and then went on to one of the most successful NFL careers in history. So pardon me if I feel ZERO sympathy for Campbell getting a half-million dollar education and now bitching about not getting a million dollar football career.
…And with my brothers and all those other persons who thinks the Army is being “unfair” AND supports this business in Iraq, seriously people, WTF?
Oh, and by the way, Campbell apparently isn’t even going overseas. He staying right here in the US where he will be serving his time as a football coach at either West Point or its prep school. Considering he could be on his way to some pretty nasty war zones, he should be counting his blessings.
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July 25, 2008 at 11:54 pm
hildigunnur
heh, well, the US armed forces aren’t awash with people at the moment, guess he could have foreseen this…
July 26, 2008 at 8:26 am
'Mita
He’s actually going to be an assistant coach for a year before OTS, and then he’ll be sent out. He’s still going, though not as fast as the other people who are.
If he’s still gonna persue his NFL career, one can only hope he comes back in one piece; PTSD, losing limbs, or worse, losing a life is pretty common, esp. the limb-loss.
Even if he so much as looses a finger, he can hang that dream up. And if he’s bitter at the US Army about shattering his dreams before he can even get one foot on the field, then I wouldn’t blame him.
July 26, 2008 at 9:56 am
bojosmom
well said. And hildigunnur is absolutely right, IMO, the lack of boots on the ground is probably a big factor.
July 26, 2008 at 12:19 pm
inmate1972
Mita-I hadn’t read that he is gong overseas, so thank for the update. And, yes, one can hope he comes back in one piece. I hope that for all the soldiers going over there. But I simply refuse to accept that he has any right to bitter about anything. Both Afghanistan and Iraq were in progress when he when he went to West Point. He knew what he was signing up for and if his real goal was the NFL all along, then he should have gone to another school.
And even if the NFL does not work out for him, he still has a degree from West Point which carries a lot of weight and will take him a long way.
Quite simply, Campbell, should he be feeling “bitter”, needs to get real accept responsibility for his life.
July 26, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Emma
Bitter? About what?
Did he get this “agreement” he had with the Army in writing? If he did, then I would think he has legal recourse. If he didn’t, then perhaps he wasn’t smart enough to be accepted into West Point in the first place and should consider himself pretty damned lucky.
He knew the deal when he signed on with the Army. He knew the deal all through his years at West Point. And now he wants to renege on his end of the contract so he can pursue a career as a professional football player? Um no. I’m sure a lot of West Point graduates would rather pursue their dream than serve in the military. But they all know the deal going in and they should be honorable enough to hold up their end of it.
I just hope they all come back whole. And soon.
July 26, 2008 at 11:28 pm
pat1354
it might be interesting to know what mr. campbell thinks-i heard him say he didn’t mind that he knew what the deal was when he signed up and no one should feel sorry for him. sounds like a good guy!
July 27, 2008 at 2:59 am
inmate1972
He’s saying that now, but he has been quoted saying how he “wanted to cry” when he got the news and how the army “reneged” and it is with him alone that this whole little drama has come to be. And if he didn’t mean any of it, then dude shouldn’t be giving interviews.
Quite simply, OF COURSE he’s says, now, that he’s a “soldier first and foremost” because who wants to be the jackass that whines like a little boy in light of the thousand of dead and maimed overseas?
I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and allow that he’s an honorable guy who will do the right thing, but again, no matter what he really feels about the situation right now, he would have come across the noble hero from the first had he never opened his mouth.
July 28, 2008 at 1:14 pm
AveshaDee
It sounds as though this guy was caught in the middle of his own initial and (should have been) internal “holy-rat-crap-I’m-headed-to-war-why-me?” battle when an interviewer grabbed him and started asking how he felt about the news.
I think all of us, no matter what we’d signed in the past, would react that way first. Unfortunately, he had his gut reaction in front of someone with a pencil and an ability to print to the masses.
As far as the general public thinking it “unfair” that he doesn’t get to go to the NFL right away speaks to the country’s obsession with competitive sports (football in particular), it’s head-in-the-sand approach to this war, and the irrationality that comes with it all.
I would like to think that the general public, when approached with the “ending the war and fixing what we broke is more important than a football contract” argument, may be able to see the greater picture and prioritize a bit better… here’s hopin’!