August 24, 2005: Headlines: Speaking Out: Military: Safety and Security of Volunteers: Berkshire Eagle: Berkshire Eagle: The war corps

Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Special Reports: August 2, 2005: Headlines: Speaking Out: Military: Intelligence Issues: Washington Post: Peace Corps Option for Military Recruits Sparks Concerns : Top Story: Peace Corps Option for Military Recruits Sparks Concerns: August 24, 2005: Headlines: Speaking Out: Military: Safety and Security of Volunteers: Berkshire Eagle: Berkshire Eagle: The war corps

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-37-25.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.37.25) on Wednesday, August 24, 2005 - 1:17 pm: Edit Post

Berkshire Eagle: The war corps

Berkshire Eagle: The war corps

The problem is not that soldiers can't make good Peace Corps volunteers. On the contrary, thousands of former military men and women have done fine work in the Peace Corps. But their military and corps tours were separate. One of the great strengths of the Peace Corps since its founding by JFK in 1961 has been its independence from other branches of the government and its ability to function outside short-term foreign-policy goals. The Peace Corps has served America well by representing the country's best values abroad - and by promoting health, education and freedom from want - without taking stands on foreign-policy positions.

Berkshire Eagle: The war corps

The war corps

Editorial

Berkshire Eagle

A demonstration against the Peace Corps in Bangladesh last month illustrates perfectly why a dumb U.S. plan to combine military and Peace Corps service should be abandoned. Students at Dhaka University protested what a leader called U.S. "imperialism" and said "if America needs to brighten its so-called good face before the world, it should change its foreign policy." Sixty-eight Peace Corps volunteers are currently working in Bangladesh as English teachers and in women's health programs, services poverty-stricken Bangladesh surely can use.

The protesters did not represent the government - on politically aware campuses it's easy to organize protests against one thing or another - and the Bangladesh volunteers plan to stay. But protests of this type, and worse, could become common if the U.S. goes ahead with a program initiated three years ago allowing U.S. military enlistees to complete their post-active-duty military obligations in the Peace Corps or Americorps, the domestic national volunteer organization. The Bush administration thought the plan would add a recruitment incentive, and congressional backers such as Senator John McCain of Arizona and Indiana Democrat Evan Bayh are proponents of national service.

Several thousand 2002 military enlistees will soon be eligible for Peace Corps service under the plan, and it could spell trouble for the 44-year-old organization. The problem is not that soldiers can't make good Peace Corps volunteers. On the contrary, thousands of former military men and women have done fine work in the Peace Corps. But their military and corps tours were separate. One of the great strengths of the Peace Corps since its founding by JFK in 1961 has been its independence from other branches of the government and its ability to function outside short-term foreign-policy goals. The Peace Corps has served America well by representing the country's best values abroad - and by promoting health, education and freedom from want - without taking stands on foreign-policy positions.

This independence is written into the Peace Corps Act. Amending language was slipped into a defense appropriations bill three years ago without anyone pointing out the dangers. Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez has said he didn't even know about the program until it was law, and he was reminded of it recently when the Pentagon began promoting the program in one of its increasingly desperate recruiting drives.

Senators McCain and Bayh said they devised the legislation "to provide Americans with more opportunities to serve their country." That's well-meant, but now the un-thought-through ramifications are about to become obvious. The same senators should listen to all the reasons that they have made a mistake - perceptions in the Third World; the likelihood that at least some soldiers will be ill-suited for Peace Corps service; the wisdom of keeping the Peace Corps separate from ever-shifting U.S. foreign policy - and halt this misbegotten initiative.





When this story was posted in August 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:


Contact PCOLBulletin BoardRegisterSearch PCOLWhat's New?

Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
Military Option sparks concerns Date: August 21 2005 No: 713 Top Story: Military Option sparks concerns
The U.S. military, struggling to fill its voluntary ranks, is allowing recruits to meet part of their reserve military obligations after active duty by serving in the Peace Corps. Read why there is opposition to the program among RPCVs. Director Vasquez says the agency has a long history of accepting qualified applicants who are in inactive military status. John Coyne says "Not only no, but hell no!" and RPCV Chris Matthews leads the debate on "Hardball." Latest: Avi Spiegel says Peace Corps is not the place for soldiers while Coleman McCarthy says to Welcome Soldiers to the Peace Corps. RPCVs: Take our Poll.

Top Stories and Breaking News PCOL Magazine Peace Corps Library RPCV Directory Sign Up

Upcoming Events: Peace Corps Fund in NYC Date: August 20 2005 No: 710 Upcoming Events: Peace Corps Fund in NYC
Peace Corps Fund announces Sept 29 Fund Raiser in NYC
High Atlas Foundation Hosts a Reception in NYC on Sept 15
Jody Olsen to address Maryland RPCVs at Sept 17 picnic
"Artists and Patrons in Traditional African Cultures" in NY thru Sept 30
See RPCV Musical "Doing Good" in CA through Sept
"Iowa in Ghana" at "The Octogan" in Ames through October 7
RPCV Film Festival in DC in October
RPCV's exhibit at Museum of Man in San Diego thru May 2006

Top Stories: August 20, 2005 Date: August 20 2005 No: 711 Top Stories: August 20, 2005
Jack Crandall writes "Memories relished by WWII Generation"
Cris Groenendaal plays Phantom of Opera on Broadway 19 Aug
Peace Corps Director Travels to Madagascar 19 Aug
RPCV presents "Artists and Patrons in Traditional African Cultures" 19 Aug
Robert Brown to head Southeast Asian Studies at UCLA 19 Aug
Peter McPherson to head national university association 19 Aug
Len Flier says US has lose-lose scenario in Iraq 18 Aug
Ruth DeMaio sends aid to Niger 18 Aug
Bob Taft pleads no contest to ethics law violation 18 Aug
Antoinette Allen is Field Hockey coach at Hun School 16 Aug
Tony Hall Avoids Mugabe on Zimbabwe trip 14 Aug
Peace Corps Receives 2005 Medgar Evers Award 10 Aug
Jeff Wray is filming "The Soul Searchers" 10 Aug
40th anniversary of Shriver's Foster Grandparent Program 9 Aug
Tom Petri writes "It's not just about highways" 9 Aug
Terry Dougherty brings students from Afghanistan to US 8 Aug
Chris Newhall is leading volcano scientist 5 Aug
Douglas Biklen appointed dean at Syracuse University 5 Aug
Greg Kovalchuk and Mike Kelly Find Rare Fossil 4 Aug
Edward O'Toole salvages furniture for schools in Honduras 3 Aug
Gary Mount is Apple Grower Of The Year 1 Aug

The Peace Corps Library Date: March 27 2005 No: 536 The Peace Corps Library
Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same interests or from your Country of Service are doing today. If you have a web site, support the "Peace Corps Library" and link to it today.

Friends of the Peace Corps 170,000  strong Date: April 2 2005 No: 543 Friends of the Peace Corps 170,000 strong
170,000 is a very special number for the RPCV community - it's the number of Volunteers who have served in the Peace Corps since 1961. It's also a number that is very special to us because March is the first month since our founding in January, 2001 that our readership has exceeded 170,000. And while we know that not everyone who comes to this site is an RPCV, they are all "Friends of the Peace Corps." Thanks everybody for making PCOL your source of news for the Returned Volunteer community.


Read the stories and leave your comments.






Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.

Story Source: Berkshire Eagle

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Speaking Out; Military; Safety and Security of Volunteers

PCOL21766
96


Add a Message


This is a public posting area. Enter your username and password if you have an account. Otherwise, enter your full name as your username and leave the password blank. Your e-mail address is optional.
Username:  
Password:
E-mail: