Military academies may serve as solution to poverty

President Lyndon Johnson's administration defined their legislation to help the poor as a "war on poverty."  Although well-meaning it lacked the level of conviction and sustained effort to bring about complete victory.  Arguably, there has never been such a social program, except maybe the New Deal that helped bring an end to the Great Depression.  To fight any kind of war half-heartedly is just a waste of money. 

Although many wars in the wake of World War II have been fought in this manner and as a result, no clear victories, our armed forces are unquestionably the most powerful on the planet.  Often complete victory is denied because of political and economic reasons, not the quality of our troops.  

The way we approach our preparedness for war, not necessarily how we wage them, might serve as a lesson on how to fight poverty.  Aside from technological superiority and economic might, a major reason for our impressive armed forces is our military academies which continuously infuse the military with the very best, young talent.

We have five military academies:  The Air Force Academy (Colorado Springs), Coast Guard Academy (New London), Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point), Military Academy (West Point), and the Naval Academy (Annapolis).  In exchange for free tuition and other incentives, graduates are commissioned officers who must serve several years in the military and later the reserves.  Kings Point graduates have additional options including work in the civilian maritime industry.

Why not have additional academies to train young people to fight poverty by educating them in fields of study that are desperately needed in poor communities?  In exchange for free college tuition, they would serve five years working in these underserved neighborhoods as school administrators, social workers, teachers, and the like.  Their emphasis would be the children and the parents or guardians who raise them.  This holistic approach of offering support in both schools and homes would equip children with all the tools they need to compete, and by doing so, finally break the cycle of poverty that has plagued our nation for  centuries. 

We have always feared off-shore enemies, but we tend to underestimate the threats from within.  And perpetual poverty is definitely an enemy we need to fight with the same conviction we would fight an invading army.

Each academy could be focused on a particular field of social work or education.  Within five years we could have 25,000 or more talented young people in poor communities dedicated to helping children.  The entire infrastructure of poor communities could be transformed within a decade.

The military and its related military academies protect our economic and strategic interests worldwide.  These teaching and social work academies would protect these same interests at home.  In today’s global economy, the demand for intellectual capital is more essential than ever if a nation is to remain strong. 

Furthermore, by breaking the cycle of poverty we could reduce costly social programs like welfare.  A study by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services agency found that “families living in poverty were the least likely to have resources available to them” and “the more compromised these families are, the more likely it is that they eventually will come into contact with the child welfare or some other social system.”

The U.S. has the largest prison system in the world.  A study conducted by the State University of New York - Binghamton found that three decades ago the U.S. prison population was about one-eighth its current size.  Poverty breeds crime and creating better schools in poor neighborhoods supported by comprehensive social programs will offer young adults alternatives to criminal activities.  College and a lucrative career will no longer be considered unattainable. 

The expense of these academies would be far less than the money spent on traditional social programs and our prison system.

No one balks at the expense of running five military service academies and therefore, no one should question the merit of these academies of social work and education.