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Bush Calls for Volunteer Army to Spot Danger
BY ADAM ENTOUS
WASHINGTON - (Reuters) - With America on alert for another attack, President Bush called on Saturday for a volunteer army of retired police officers, doctors and utility workers to be on watch for danger and respond to emergencies in their communities.
Tapping into the wave of patriotism generated by the Sept. 11 strikes, Bush has proposed an unprecedented expansion of volunteer programs, including the new Citizen Corps to help fight terrorism at the local level, an expanded Peace Corps for overseas service, and a Senior Corps for older Americans.
"It's graduation time on many college campuses," Bush said in his weekly radio address. "Members of my administration are traveling around the country to challenge the class of 2002 to make serving their neighbor and their nation a central part of their lives."
The White House said Bush's initiative was succeeding, but that more volunteers were needed.
He appealed for 200,000 Americans to volunteer for community service in the State of the Union speech in January.
So far, more than 45,000 people have asked for applications for the Peace Corps, which currently has 7,000 volunteers serving in 70 countries.
Bush has vowed to quickly dispatch American volunteers to Afghanistan and other Muslim nations to spread "the universal values we hold so dear."
"We will fight resentment and hatred with hope and progress," said Bush, who spent the weekend at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland.
The White House said more than 34,000 people have also signed up for Citizen Corps, which Bush said would "enable Americans to make their own neighborhoods safer."
"Americans from every walk of life are heeding the call to service," Bush said.
But he added: "America needs retired doctors and nurses who can be mobilized in emergencies; volunteers to help police and fire departments; and transportation and utility workers trained to spot danger."
Bush made the appeal following a series of government warnings about possible attacks on rail and transit systems, and major U.S. landmarks. FBI Director Robert Mueller said another attack was inevitable.
Earlier Saturday, Bush addressed the graduating cadets of West Point military academy.
He said they would provide "the ultimate service to our nation as we fight and win the war on terror."
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