Tweet for Ed, and changes in the wind for academy athletes

| December 10, 2022

Interesting week for military academy athletes – language in the defense authorization bill states that athletes skipping out on post-grad military service constitutes a breach of the agreement to serve as “a breach of agreement to serve as an officer.”

Since 2019, Defense Department leaders have allowed some athletes to apply for a waiver to play professional sports immediately after graduation, a process that delays their active-duty service. Lawmakers now want to put a stop to that.

In explanatory language for the authorization bill, they called the current policy governing academy athletes “contorted” and said that granting exceptions to the rules goes against the principles of what the schools are designed to do.

Congress is expected to finalize the authorization bill, which includes $817 billion in defense spending policy issues for fiscal 2023, in the next few days.

Military Times

Congress is also rescinding the military’s Covid-19 mandate in the same bill. ‘Bout damn time.

Military Times

Guess it is true, even a blind pig finds an acorn now and then. Someone in Congress is doing something right, in my book. I would think anyone who sucks up all those taxpayer training dollars and wants to bolt to be a pro athlete should end up assigned someplace “interesting.”  Where did I hear something about flying rubber something outta Hong Kong? Maybe Ed remembers.

Category: Army, Navy, West Point

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Graybeard

Some folks are gonna always try to game the system.

Closing those loopholes and stopping the fake pandemic panic are good things to do.

Old tanker

Well as far as something interesting is concerned for the academy pro athletes I think there are some options.

For Marines and Navy Tinian Island. Rather remote and a very very small installation.

For Air Force, the Aleutions.

For Army either the NTC, Ft Polk or as a last resort Ft. Hood. This is assuming the Antarctic doesn’t have a Military contingent for “security”.

CCO

Never know, Putin might want the whole continent.

Fort Wainwright would make me rethink my life choices.

KoB

364 days out of the year we loves us some Naughtily Inclined Squidly floating Artillery Platform/Warrior Transporters…and their crayon munching Compatriots. But on that (can be only) ONE day…not so much… GO ARMY!!! BEAT NAVY!!!

The purpose of the Military Academies is to produce Leaders of Warriors whose sole purpose is to break things and destroy our enemies while defending the Republic. It is not to produce fodder for the grist mill of corporate sports teams.

AW1Ed

“The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps!”
—Eleanor Roosevelt, 1945

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Av8or33

I agree but if that was truly the case the Army Navy game would be about as exciting as the Yale vs Harvard game. And let’s face it top tier high school teams are more exciting than that. Athletics bring donations and TV rights, merchandise, etc. If you want to play and have anyone but parents show up you go recruit the guys that can play. And let’s be real the academies really only attract a few really good players and some who develop during college. Let the team that drafts them reimburse the government. Not to mention high level college athletes should be paid. The true student athlete hasn’t existed at the D1 level in decades.

AW1Ed

One of my rescue swimmer super powers was getting people out of rafts. So much the better if my new best friend disagreed.

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Av8or33

I believe that they should honor their contract. That being said not many top tier athletes are going to the academies if they have no chance to pursue professional sports. The academies have allowed loopholes for decades to become more competitive in college sports I don’t think the schools care much about it sports are a business if you suck no one donates and no one buys your product. If they have raised the schools revenue that’s really what they want anyway.

Roh-Dog

A breach breach of agreement agreement is almost as bad as this guy’s uniform (see image).

Nice ribbon, Sir. Did you get that at the NEX?

GABN!

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