By Admin1 (admin) (aca1cdb9.ipt.aol.com - 172.161.205.185) on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - 3:12 pm: Edit Post |
Congressman John Kline Introduces Legislation to Separate Military Service, Peace Corps
Congressman John Kline, a member of the House Armed Services committee, introduced legislation to alter the National Call to Service Program to remove the Peace Corps as an option for completing an individual’s military enlistment requirement . “Thousands of military veterans have served honorably in the Peace Corps following their military careers and will continue to do so,” said Kline. “The goal of this legislation is to ensure the independence of the Peace Corps and the safety of their volunteers.” Congressman Kline served for 25 years in the United States Marine Corps and retired with the rank of Colonel. He served as a military aide to both Presidents Carter and Reagan.
Congressman John Kline Introduces Legislation to Separate Military Service, Peace Corps
Kline Introduces Legislation to Separate Military Service, Peace Corps
Caption: Congressman John Kline (center) meeting with Colonel James Muscatell, Staff Sergeant Jason Tacheny, Major Tim Wollmuth and Major Kurt Rosselit of the 934th Airlift Wing, to discuss issues of troop rotation and reservists employment issues on August 12th, 2004. Photo: Web Site of Congressman John Kline
WASHINGTON – Congressman John Kline (R-MN) introduced legislation to alter the National Call to Service Program to remove the Peace Corps as an option for completing an individual’s military enlistment requirement.
The National Call to Service recruitment program was created in December 2002 to allow military recruits to count service in the Peace Corps or Americorps toward the 8 year commitment required of enlisted military personnel.
Many former Peace Corps members are concerned that perceived links between military service and the Peace Corps could jeopardize the safety of Peace Corps Volunteers who provide humanitarian service in remote locations.
Kline’s legislation will help differentiate the roles of Peace Corps volunteers from those of enlisted military personnel.
“Thousands of military veterans have served honorably in the Peace Corps following their military careers and will continue to do so,” said Kline. “The goal of this legislation is to ensure the independence of the Peace Corps and the safety of their volunteers.”
When this story was posted in August 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:Read the stories and leave your comments.
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
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.
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
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.