http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8377544?MSNHPHCP>1=39002

Short story:

The Army offered Caleb Campbell an Alternative Service Option to join the NFL, rather than deploy. They have since rescinded their offer. At a time when recruiting is a problem and people are losing faith in the military, this was just a dumb mistake on the Army's part.


[words]
G.I.

Government Issue.

An American soldier freely submits to being the property of his country. It is a commitment that humbles the rest of us.

And it is this covenant — between man and country — that is at the heart of the Caleb Campbell story and the Army's decision to rescind the Alternative Service Option it had extended to him. Campbell was still going to belong to the U.S. Army when the NFL kicked off in September. But if he made the Lions, he was going to be deployed as a football hero recruiter.

Unbeknownst to Campbell, the mission changed earlier this month.

The Army's reversal was made on July 8, but in true F.U.B.A.R. fashion, the military failed to alert Campbell to the change until the eve of his reporting to training camp with the Lions this week.

Whether or not the Alternative Service Option or "special skills" clause was good policy is open for debate. That the Army botched the execution of the policy seems obvious.

Like a drill sergeant deciding how many pushups a recruit owes him, the Army uses its property however it sees fit. Whether it's cleaning latrines in Kandahar or flying to the ball at Ford Field, a soldier is doing what's best for the Army.

And if Caleb Campbell, a 6-2, 229-pound All-American recruiting poster, had indeed lined up for the Lions in September, it's hard to imagine he could have done anything better for his beleaguered branch of the military than show millions of football fans every Sunday the kind of man the Army produces.

As it now stands, Campbell will spend the next year as a graduate assistant coach as he continues his officer training before being deployed.

To understand just how poorly timed the Army's re-interpretation of the Alternative Service Option has been, we need to go back to 2005.

Campbell had just finished an outstanding sophomore season at West Point and was facing a point of no return. Cadets who transfer before their junior year are freed from their obligation without penalty.

Campbell was torn, but his on-field success had led him to believe he had a future in football. Other football schools were actively trying to lure him away. He went to see then-Army coach Bobby Ross with the intention of transferring.

During that meeting Ross told him about the newly-expanded (in 2005) Alternative Service Option that releases those with "unique talents and abilities" from their five-year active duty commitments, requiring them instead to work in recruiting and public affairs. The talk convinced Campbell to stay at West Point. According to Ross and existing Army policy, if Campbell were good enough, he'd still get a crack at the NFL.

The policy, as observed at West Point, was already a point of contention at the service academies. The Naval Academy and Air Force were offering no such deferment of duty and, therefore, considered themselves at a recruiting disadvantage. All three service academies were operating under the same Department of Defense directive — issued in 1994 — but Army had unilaterally decided that playing professional sports qualified a cadet for alternative service.

Campbell suffered a knee injury his junior year but bounced back with a lights-out senior year. With it clear to all that Campbell would be eligible to play right away should he make an NFL team, he was invited to the scouting combine, where he impressed.

Projected as a safety (though Lions head coach Rod Marinelli would shift him back to linebacker), Campbell benched 225 24 times — the second most for any DB prospect at the combine — and ran a 4.56. He was projected as high as a fifth-rounder.

Campbell was the celebrity of Day 2 of the NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall in April. Every profile of him made it clear he's the kind of guy you'd want fighting for your country or blowing up a wedge on a kickoff. Marinelli, a Vietnam veteran, selected Campbell in the seventh round and the crowd began chanting USA! USA! It was a public relations bonanza for the Army.

Campbell rescheduled his final exams so he could finish them early and attend both rookie camp and minicamp with the Lions as he prepared to compete for a slot on the team.

Then, after three years of telling him he could pursue his football dream, the Army re-interpreted its policy and pulled the rug out from under him, notifying him the day before training camp began.

Campbell has acknowledged crying when he heard the news of the Army's policy change. "I didn't ask for it," he told the AP of the exemption. "But you should have never gave it to me if it wasn't going to happen."

Compare Campbell's case to that of Patriots running back and special teamer Kyle Eckel who played at Navy.

According to the Boston Globe, twice during his career at Annapolis, Eckel was recommended for dismissal by the school conduct board. Those recommendations were rejected by the administration and he graduated last in the class of '05. Seventeen months and a couple of subsequently dismissed assault charges later, Eckel was expelled from the Navy and ordered to repay the government $96,000 to defray part of the cost of his education.

So there he was in Week 6 last season, scoring the game's final touchdown in a 48-27 romp over the Cowboys in Dallas. He was living the dream. How? By being a nightmare as a Midshipman.

Campbell, meanwhile, has always played by the rules. But they just changed them on him, meaning he will not be eligible to resume his NFL dream until 2010.

Campbell enrolled at West Point in a time of war. He wasn't looking for the easy way out. He just saw an opportunity to live two dreams at once, playing in the NFL and serving his country, albeit as a recruiter instead of an artillery officer.

One of those dreams is on hold.

"I'm a soldier first and foremost and I go where they order me to go," he said after hearing the news.

Sounds like the kind of guy you'd want in your foxhole. And in your locker room. And in your recruiting office.

Caleb Campbell is missing the opportunity of a lifetime. And so is the U.S. Army.

7/25/2008 1:06:06 PM

I am an asshole because of this.

7/25/2008 1:07:56 PM

this is chit chat

7/25/2008 1:08:12 PM

A. OLD
B. its the Department of Defense that told the army they had to do this, so you're blaming the wrong people

I guarantee you Kevin Mench didn't personally talk to Campbell...and apparently he didn't listen to when Mike Tirico interviewed Campbell yesterday, when Campbell said it was the Department of Defense who made the Army do it, and that Army had given him months off to train for combines, OTAs, etc, and had been accommodating throughout the entire process

[Edited on July 25, 2008 at 1:10 PM. Reason : .]

7/25/2008 1:08:22 PM

^Duely noted about the DoD; I also didn't find any threads searching for "Caleb Campbell" posts

7/25/2008 1:09:29 PM

its a screwed up situation but i just wanted to clarify that a more accurate sentiment would be

Fuck the Department of Defense

and its not that old..but its like 1 day old, so thats old for tww

[Edited on July 25, 2008 at 1:12 PM. Reason : [tww]]

7/25/2008 1:11:08 PM

Can a mod change the title to what it should appropriately convey?

7/25/2008 1:13:55 PM

hahah nah i dont think you can change thread titles

7/25/2008 1:15:50 PM

Blast. The thread now loses its maximum effectiveness. Critical fail will soon be reached.

7/25/2008 1:18:56 PM

7/25/2008 1:25:22 PM

I think the proper sentiment should be fuck the US Military Academy.

After years of declining sports and consistent losses to Navy and Air Force, USMA got the Army to adopt this extremely misguided policy. They thought that having an option to allow athletes to go pro would help the school out on the field.

As a graduate of the Naval Academy, I always found the policy to be bullshit. It's especially bad that the Army tried to use their policy after a DoD directive was issued stating that NO graduates would be allowed to leave service until 24 months had passed from graduation.

USMA knew of this policy and instead of following it like USNA and USAFA, the instead put on the Campbell dog and pony show with the NFL draft this year. USMA fucked up by trying to follow their own policy instead of the blanket policy that USNA and USAFA followed.

Navy has gone further to say that in this time of war, no one will be allowed any early-exit option. Everyone will do a minimum of 5 years.

The "football hero recruiter" is laughable. Service is not spending one day a week going out and talking about how he has never really served in the military. I mean what kind of recruiter is that? "Hey come join the army and fight...i mean I never did and never will, and besides a few summer training deployments." Not only that, but real recruiters bust their balls day in and day out. To call what he was going to be doing recruiting was a disservice to real recruiters in service.

Frankly I think you would be more outraged that the taxpayers had spent a quarter million dollars educating and training this guy to go to the NFL. It disgusted me that he was potentially dodging service. I'm glad he's having to serve. He can always try again in 22 months.

I could go into a lot more, but I'm leaving in 30 mins to go to Ecuador for 2 weeks. If you really want to get educated about the bullshit Army tried to pull with this shit, google The Birddog and read up on some of the blog posts there.

[Edited on July 25, 2008 at 1:27 PM. Reason : .]

7/25/2008 1:26:09 PM

Taxpayers spend that much for athletes anyway, when you factor in public school and scholarship money. They dangled a twinkie in front of a fat kid and instead shoved shit on a stick down his throat.

7/25/2008 1:29:38 PM

Campbell also didn't have a contract signed yet.

7/25/2008 1:36:04 PM

I do not agree with that at all. When someone goes to school at State to play football, people know that after graduation (or whenever they leave) there are no obligations.

As soon as you sign that piece of paper at the beginning of your junior year at a military academy, you are committing yourself to serve at least 5 years post-graduation (it's called the 2 for 7....2 more years of college, 7 more years in uniform).

7/25/2008 1:40:38 PM

Well fuck you too

7/25/2008 1:43:39 PM

Well fuck you too

7/25/2008 3:26:28 PM

Sounds like you are the asshole

7/25/2008 3:27:04 PM

Yeah, this thread title definitely pissed me the fuck off when I first read it. I had to go punch some babies to feel better. You should probably have chosen a better title.

7/25/2008 3:32:47 PM

well fuck you too

and you're welcome

[Edited on July 25, 2008 at 3:37 PM. Reason : .]

7/25/2008 3:36:51 PM

Fuck the US Military? Are you stupid?

Honestly, how important do you have to think of yourself to make a thread title "Fuck the United States Military" (and for something like this... a football story)?

STFU

7/25/2008 3:37:03 PM

highlight the shit you want me to read.

7/25/2008 3:37:43 PM

he could just as easily pay off his college debt to west point (about 350,000) and play for the lions. im sure the lions would give him the money and just call it a signing bonus

7/25/2008 3:43:36 PM

Quote :

"Fuck the US Military? Are you stupid? Honestly, how important do you have to think of yourself to make a thread title "Fuck the United States Military" (and for something like this... a football story)? STFU "

7/25/2008 3:54:58 PM

Its fine to be against the war, whatever. I dont agree but its your opinion.

But never trash the people that are out there risking their lives for you. Whether you think so or not. Theyre in the middle of fucking nowhere hiding from lunatics with machine guns. Just because you think youre morally superior to the notion of violence does not give you any right to trash those who fight for you.

7/25/2008 7:16:00 PM

I want to quote so many people in this thread.

7/25/2008 7:25:18 PM

^^ I'll be the first to say that Spontaneous is a complete dipshit, and this thread is retarded from the title on down, but there's a serious logical problem with your post:

the US Military is not fighting in Iraq for me. they're not fighting for you. they're being directed by the Bush Administration to fight for the current Iraqi government, the Bush Family, Haliburton, Bechtel, and maybe the House of Saud. but not for me or you. get that through your head.

The US military is full of some great people, and nothing would make me happier than to bring all our troops home from this quagmire, because there's nothing going on in Iraq that is making me or my family safer, happier, more secure, or more prosperous.







[Edited on July 25, 2008 at 7:29 PM. Reason : ]

7/25/2008 7:25:59 PM

Campbell would of had a MUCH larger impact on AMerican youth playing for the Lions b/c it could show them...if one reaches a certain level and works hard they to can make it to the NFL. I support our many troops serving right now..but the administration of the U.S. Military is stupid as shit!

7/25/2008 7:29:08 PM

he signed a contract

/thread

7/25/2008 7:29:58 PM

Quote :

"He could show [kids] if one reaches a certain level and works hard they to can make it to the NFL."

thats probably the second-most stupid post in this thread.








[Edited on July 25, 2008 at 7:32 PM. Reason : ]

7/25/2008 7:30:16 PM

Quote :

"there's nothing going on in Iraq that is making me or my family safer"

[Edited on July 25, 2008 at 7:34 PM. Reason : now THIS is considered the most stupid post in the thread.]

7/25/2008 7:34:23 PM

Al-Zaqari, and Saddams' sons?

none of those people ever were threatening me. saddam wasnt threatening me or my family's safety, either.

as for terrorists, they weren't even iraq, and people like al-Zaqari had no power in Iraq, before we broke Saddam's security apparatus and allowed the country to be flooded with a bunch of al-qaeda wannabes.

but feel free to try again.





[Edited on July 25, 2008 at 7:49 PM. Reason : ]

7/25/2008 7:43:55 PM

fuck you Spontaneous

7/25/2008 7:47:12 PM

not anymore, they're not... thank God...

and the bottom two certainly were in Iraq. All of their lives., in fact Hell, their Daddy ran the place, and they were tapped to assume his position upon his death. They were also murderers, rapists, and USDA Approved Choice Assholes.


But if you think all three men wouldn't have loved to have murdered you, your child, and your wife if given the opportunity... think again.

We may not be safer, but taking out these dudes, and the people like them, certainly doesn't HURT our prospects of safety... unless you make the hydra argument.

7/25/2008 7:49:44 PM

what the FUCK are you talking about?

you might as well start hollering

OMG ROBERT MUGABE IS GOING TO EAT YOUR BABIES!!!

OMG KIM JUNG IL HAS NUKEULAR MISSLES POINTED AT YOUR GRANDMAS BEDROOM WINDOW

OMG OMG OMG LETS GO INVADE EVERY COUNTRY THAT HAS BAD PEOPLE IN IT

no, fuck your koolaid, i aint drinkin it. save it for someone who cant think their way out of a middle school history class.

none of those people were threating me, and none of those people had the means to attack anyone in this country. they were completely contained.

now they're dead, but so fucking what. the unintended consequences of BREAKING THE NATION OF IRAQ to get a handful of bad people has destabilized an entire global region, and made the world far less safe than it ever was before. and our resources are spread so goddamned thin, our ability to react to new crises is damaged.





[Edited on July 25, 2008 at 7:57 PM. Reason : ]

7/25/2008 7:54:00 PM

hahahaha

7/25/2008 7:54:24 PM

RAWR RAWR RAWR

I LIVE IN PROGRESSIVE SEATTLE

I DRINK COFFEE AND WEAR A SCARF ALL THE TIME

LOOK HOW MUCH I KNOW ABOUT THE WORLD

GOD MY OPINIONS ARE SO GREAT

7/25/2008 7:57:39 PM

yeah that's what i thought.

thanks for not exceeding my expectations.

7/25/2008 7:59:47 PM

^^AxolBon..you hit the nail on the head with that one...Joe should try going into politics since he can solve all of the worlds problems!

7/25/2008 8:01:33 PM

^ well, aren't you a cute little cheerleader. suck dick much, do ya?

maybe you'll come back when you have something intelligible to add, rather than just parroting Big Daddy?

7/25/2008 8:02:56 PM

i wish you were dead.

7/25/2008 8:03:56 PM

joe, calm down. you work (or did) for microsoft, right? i thought they only hire the best of the best. you are making think ms screening practices are subpar.

7/25/2008 8:04:39 PM

microsoft is full of turds. i was just one turd of many. less than a turd, really. being that i was a contractor.

whatever you do, don't judge MSFT on my account. I worked there for two months, and then split to a job working with REAL devices. I never have fit with a bunch of Comp Sci dudes. Im EE.






[Edited on July 25, 2008 at 8:12 PM. Reason : ]

7/25/2008 8:06:38 PM

do you have a history of physical or emotional violence?

7/25/2008 8:07:29 PM

surely you must be asking Axl, because im not the one making death-wishes here





[Edited on July 25, 2008 at 8:10 PM. Reason : ]

7/25/2008 8:08:54 PM

hahaha i was only fucking with anyway. you guise should be ashamed of yourselves scaring all of the internet girls with this crazy talk.

7/25/2008 8:10:13 PM

Looking at Joe's picture...who the fuck would seriously be afraid of him? he's just one of many douche bags who hide behind their desktop, inflating a lack of self confidence, by depicting a larger than life self online.

Go back to your Japanese anime, playing with your Magic cards, and Star Trek re-runs son.....b/c looking at your pic it's quite clear how much of a social life you dont have!

7/25/2008 8:11:39 PM

Fuck you right back.

7/25/2008 8:11:50 PM

for the record

Axolbon sounds like a cleaning agent.


or a men's itch powder...

7/25/2008 8:12:08 PM

or a new brand of lube

7/25/2008 8:12:54 PM

well i did just get F'd in the A

7/25/2008 8:13:06 PM